Related Studies on Acacia as a Feed Additive Alinea et al.

(2005) conducted a study concerning a feeding trial to enhance the utilization of Gliricidia sepium (Kakawate) and Samanea saman (Acacia) leaf meals as protein supplement for goats. Fifteen (is) dairy goats of Saanen breed were randomly allotted to three rations: Ration 1 - grass and Gliricidia leaf meal at SO% of the ration on dry matter basis; Ration 2 - grass and Samanea leaf meal at 50% of dry matter ration; and Ration 3 - grass plus concentrate (control). The milk yield of goats fed with concentrates was higher than that of those fed without concentrates, treatments did however not milk yield means of the three Milk differ significantly (P>0.05).

composition of goats fed different rations also showed no significant difference, although milk obtained from goats fed concentrate supplementation had the lowest protein and the highest butterfat. Income over feed cost was favorable in treatment groups feeding on leaf meals (P15.46 and P16.04) than that of those feeding on concentrates (P9.84). All the rations were profitable assuming that feed cost represents 60% of the total cost to produce a litre of milk. A study to determine the potential of rain tree

(Samanea saman) fruit meal (Enterolobium [Samanea] saman) as feed for sheep (2012). Rain tree was conducted by Kathaperumal et al. (Samanea saman) pods collected from

different sources were soaked in tap water for 24 h, dried, ground and made into a meal (water treated); soaked in 0.1 N NaOH for 24 h, dried and made into a meal (NaOH-treated); or soaked in 6% commercial lime solution for 24 h, dried

and made into a meal (lime-treated). In a 135-day feeding trial sheep 3 months old were in 4 groups and fed on a diet containing untreated, water-treated, NaOH-treated or limetreated rain tree pods added at 100 g/head daily. Average initial body weight was 11.40, 10.90, 11.00 and 11.50 kg; final bodyweight were was not 11.50, 11.70, 11.10
0.75

and

11.50

kg;

differences

significant.

The

sheep

took

59.83,

62.19, 60.15 and 65.69 kg DM/body weight

gain. There were

no significant differences between groups in digestibility of crude protein and crude fibre. Digestibility of DM was 48.8, 50.4, 53.6 and 54.9%, was respectively, 61.9, 63.4 and and that of nitrogen-free 60%. Asian-Pacific meal as an Aquaculture protein and (2009) source conducted for Nile a study extract 60.1, 63.7%.

Processing reduced the tannin content of the pods by about

about the use of East Indian walnut (Samanea saman) leaf alternative tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Tambaqui (Colossoma

brachypomum). From a proximate analysis, East Indian Walnut leaf meal (ELM) contains 21.50% of protein. Two similar experiments were then carried out in a closed recirculation system with 24x150-L tanks for a trial period of 8 weeks. Four isonitrogenous isocaloric diets (protein 30%; gross energy 400 kcal/kg) containing 0, 5, 10, and 15% of ELM as an alternative protein source were fed to three replicate groups of juvenile Nile tilapia and tambaqui with mean initial weights of 6.720.28 and 13.270.63 g., respectively. Results indicated that survival rates were similar among treatments in both experiments (P0.05). However, final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR) decreased with increasing levels of ELM in diets

(P<0.05).

In

both

experiments,

protein

efficiency

ratio

(PER) was better (P<0.05) in fish fed control diet (0% ELM) but no significant differences were found among fish fed the other three diets (P0.05). In terms of feed conversion ratio (FCR), Nile tilapia fed control diet had the best result from (P<0.05) to at 2.070.35 For but did feed not show any ratio significant difference when fed other three diets, ranging 2.96 3.11. tambaqui, conversion ranged from 1.33 to 1.72 with no significant differences detected among treatments (P0.05). In terms of production, the lowest (P<0.05) feed cost per unit of Nile tilapia and tambaqui were achieved 10% when ELM fed diet 15% ELM diet (0.430.01 baht/fish) and (0.860.05 baht/fish),

respectively. Acording to Barcelo (2007), in their study

Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed on Samanea saman Pod Meal as a Main Substitute to Corn Feeds, Results agreed with the researcher's earlier hypothesis on the effectiveness of acacia pod as substitute and supplement. Acacia pod meal is significantly comparable with corn feeds. It could substitute corn up to 35% in formulated ration. As it is, acacia pod (Samanea saman L.), is already a good source of protein and energy. It contains 13.57% protein, 89.25% dry matter, 2.98% ether extract, 2.19% crude fiber, 0.23% ash, are and 6.44% nitrogen to is pod extract. corn. the Its Aside best nutrient from its contents nutrient almost comparable

content,

acacia

alternative

because of its availability, making it a cheap source. In the study

ACACIA (Samanea saman)