Abstract
The growing demand for foods of animal origin and current challenges that face livestock has led scientists to find feeding alternatives. This study determined the effects of dietary Moringa oleifera leaves silage and Chlorella vulgaris on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and ruminal fermentation in growing kids. Thirty kids (24.3 ± 0.8 kg body weight) were allocated to three treatments over a duration of 120 days. A basal diet, consisting of 70% concentrate and 30% forage, was used as the control. In the experimental groups, the concentrate of the control diet was replaced with M. oleifera leaves silage and C. vulgaris at 20% (MA20) or 40% (MA40). C. vulgaris was included at a rate of 1% dry matter (DM) of the total ration. Both MA20 and MA40 significantly enhanced final body weight (P = 0.018), total weight gain (P = 0.012), average daily gain (P = 0.012), and feed efficiency (P = 0.013). Feed intake was similar across treatments; however, both MA20 and MA40 linearly increased (P < 0.01) nutrient digestibility compared to the control. Additionally, both MA20 and MA40 significantly raised ruminal pH (P < 0.001), and total volatile fatty acids without affecting the acetate: propionate ratio. Furthermore, MA20 and MA40 significantly increased the count of total bacteria (P = 0.028) and decreased the count of ruminal protozoa (P = 0.018). Both MA20 and MA40 also significantly elevated blood albumin levels (P < 0.001), the albumin: globulin ratio (P = 0.036), and antioxidant capacity (P = 0.008). The results indicate that replacing dietary concentrate in growing male Damascus kids with M. oleifera leaves silage at 20 or 40%, along with C. vulgaris at 1% DM, can enhance growth and feed efficiency.