Evaluation of tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) as forage for ruminants

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The multipurpose leguminous tree tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) was studied through various experiments in Ethiopia's tropical highlands. The research began with assessing harvesting management options to optimize biomass and crude protein (CP) yield. The second phase focused on evaluating the nutritional and anti-nutritional quality profiles. In the third phase, the effects of harvesting stage and pre-feeding forage preparation on the forage preference and intake of sheep, growing steers, and heifers were analyzed. The final phase measured the feeding value of tagasaste as a substitute for standard concentrates, examining weight gain, digestibility, and carcass parameters in sheep. Tagasaste can be successfully established through seedling transplantation, with productivity significantly enhanced by effective harvesting management. Its chemical composition indicates a potential protein source with high degradability for ruminants, while tannins and alkaloids present are below toxic levels but may influence intake and digestibility. Pre-feeding physical treatments affect ruminant preference and intake, though the harvesting stage does not. Fresh tagasaste forage can replace wheat bran and noug seed cake in growing sheep diets, yielding similar weight gain and carcass outcomes. Evaluating forage crops in animal feeding requires consideration of production, processing, feeding, and final product quality.