PSIII-A-9 - Effect of Fertility Level on Nutraceutical Parameters of Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza Cuneata)

Abstract: Sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata), is a high-tannin warm-season perennial forage plant with very good bioactivity against internal parasites of small ruminants. Hays of SL produced under normal-fertility (NF) and enhanced-fertility (EF) management were compared to a bermudagrass (BG; Cynodon dactylon) hay diet in a 6-week feeding trial with goats. Naturally parasite infected intact Spanish male goats (8-9 months old) housed in individual pens were fed NF (n=15) or EF (n=13) SL or BG hay (n=15; CON) free choice. A commercial goat pellet was provided to all goats at 1.5% of body weight. At the start of the study and weekly thereafter, fecal and blood samples were collected to analyze gastrointestinal nematode fecal egg counts (FEC) and Eimeria spp. (coccidia) fecal oocyst counts (FOC) and percentage packed red blood cell volume (PCV), respectively. Animal weights were recorded at the start and end of the trial. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS for repeated measures with inferences made on log-transformed data for FEC, FOC and PCV, and GLM used for average daily gain (ADG) data. The FEC and FOC for EF and NF SL were different from control after day 0 (P< 0.05). Percentage PCV tended (P < 0.052) to be influenced by treatment, in which EF and NF SL were similar, but both were higher (P < 0.05) than CON (tendency only for NF, P < 0.07). The goats’ ADG was impacted by treatment, as those fed SL grown under enhanced fertility had higher (P < 0.001) weight gain than the NF SL and CON goats, which were similar. Enhanced-fertility SL improved animal performance while maintaining anti-parasitic bioactivity in goats.