Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine

The research was carried out to measure nutrients utilize by goats fed concentrate containig varying levels of Muntingia clabura L. as maize substitute. This research was conducted based on Double Latin Square 4 x 4 eight female Kacang goats. Four treatments and four periods used as replications. The treatments are MC₀ = concentrate 100% of maize mills without the flour of Muntingia calabura L. leaves; MC₂₀ = concentrate with 20% Muntingia calabura L. leaves flour as maize substitute; MC₄₀ = concentrate with 40% of Muntingia calabura L. leaves flour as maize substitute and MC₆₀ = concentrate with 60% of Muntingia calabura L. leaves flour as maize substitute. All data are tabulated and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and where the influence of the treatments was recorded, Least Quare was utilized using SPSS software, version 23 for windows. The result shows that the average dry matter consumption increases with an increase in the levels of Muntingia calabura L. leaves as maize substitute but the treatments have no significant influence (p>0.05). On the contrary, the value of NFE consumption tends to decrease, but it has no significant influence. However, the consumption of other nutrients, mainly crude protein, crude fiber, and crude fat increases significantly. The increasing of these nutrients is not followed by the increasing of digestibility values, since values of dry matter, crude protein, and crude fat decreases. Actually, there is an increase of rumen fermentation condition as indicated by concentrations of total VFA, rumen NH3, and propionate acid although it has no significant influence, statistically. In conclusion, the leaves of Muntingia calabura L. can be used as a component of concentrate formulation as maize substitute up to 40% inclusion level.