Abstract 193

Mora,-M; Parra,-R; Escobar,-A

Univ. Simon Rodriquez, Direccion de Produccion Agricola, Apartado 66802, Las Americas, Caracas 1061, Venezuela.

Revistade-la-Facultad-de-Agronomia-de-la-Universidad-Centra -de-Venezuela. 1986, 35, 295-311; 26 ref.

The potential use of Canavalia ensiformis in feeding of ruminants and the anti-nutritional factors which could affect utilization are discussed. Mean daily gain in male sheep given diets with 22 or 32% C. ensiformis was 94.1 and 72.6% of that in controls. Feed intake was 8.9 and 10.8 compared with 7.9 kg/kg gain in controls. In female sheep values were 126.2 and 120.0% and 10.3, 10.6 and 9.2 kg/kg gain, respectively. In cattle given diets with 30% C. ensiformis completely replacing maize and soyabean meal mean daily gain was 91.7% of the control value. Feed intake was 7.8 compared with 7.6 kg/kg gain. Increasing C. ensiformis in the diet of sheep decreased rumen fermentation.