Black and White Pepper and its Effect on Feed Digestibility and Efficiency in Local Goats

The experiment aimed to evaluate the supplementation of Black and white pepper on nutrient intake and digestibility of local goats. A total of 25 goats were divided into five treatments. CTR: Control; S-H: Supplementation + Melastoma malabathricum; S-HBP : Supplementation + Melastoma malabathricum + Black Pepper; S-HWP: Supplementation + Melastoma malabathricum +White Pepper; S-HBWP: Supplementation + Melastoma malabathricum + Black Pepper + White pepper. The measured parameters included feed intake, digestibility, average daily gain (ADG), intake of digestible nutrients, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and feed efficiency. All data were analysed using ANOVA and continued with Duncan’s Multiple Range test to see the difference among the means for ADG, and to evaluate the effect of supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, intake of digestible nutrients, FCR, and feed efficiency using orthogonal contrast. Results revealed that, except for crude protein, feed intake (g/day) was considerably higher in the supplementation group based on orthogonal contrast. All treatments had greater feed consumption per metabolic BW% BW, as well as intake of digestible nutrients. Supplementation did not influence dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, and energy digestibility, as well as FCR and FE. The average daily gain (ADG) in this experiment was significantly higher in T4. In conclusion, combination herbs and black/white pepper increase feed intake and ADG while not influencing nutrient digestibility and FCR and feed efficiency.