Plastic barrels silage chemical composition and dry matter intake of Diallonke goats in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to improve forage availability all year around through plastic barrels silage production in Burkina Faso. A study has been conducted from November 2021 to May 2022. It includes three phases (i) a survey conducted among 90 stakeholders in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso, (ii) silage production with Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin fodder at Nazi Boni University and (iii) feeding 12 Djallonké goats divided into four batches of three goats on a farm in Koumbia (Tuy Province, Hauts-Bassins Region, Burkina Faso). The results reveal that Andropogon gayanus (17%), Arachis hypogaea tops (17%), Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin (14%) are the most dominant fodder on fodder sales sites in Bobo-Dioulasso. Bromatological analysis (dry matter, metabolizable energy, lignin, ADF, NDF) showed no significant difference between silage and pre-wild fodder before silage. The silage ingestion rate was progressive from 25.53% to 87.55% during the first days of feeding to reach 100% after 10 days during the trial. The milk obtained from goats fed with silage was stable in terms of the main physicochemical elements. It can be concluded that it is possible to produce silage from fresh grass cut in the pasture and sold in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso and which adapt well to the diet of goats.