Proximate and Fibre Composition of Brachiaria Ruziziensis Ensiled With Layer Droppings

Student: Mubarak Akinkunmi Yusuf (Project, 2025)
Department of Pasture and Range Management
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of incorporating layer droppings on the nutritive quality of Brachiaria ruziziensis silage at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The overarching goal of the study was to evaluate the proximate and fibre composition of silage formulated with varying levels of layer droppings. Specifically, the study aimed to assess the proximate components (dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, and crude fibre) as well as fibre fractions, including neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL), at inclusion levels of 0% (control), 5%, and 10% layer droppings. Fresh Brachiaria ruziziensis grass was harvested from the TETFUND Pasture land, wilted for 24 hours, chopped, and ensiled with air-dried layer droppings (sourced from CAEDESE layer unit) in 400–500 mL silos. The experiment followed a 3×4 factorial design with three inclusion levels (0%, 5%, and 10%) and four ensiling durations (0, 21, 42, 63 days), replicated three times. Proximate and fibre fractions analysis was done using NIRS machine. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple range test was use to separated treatment means. The result show Crude protein (CP) increased significantly (p

Keywords
proximate fibre composition Brachiaria ruziziensis ensiled layer droppings
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