Typical nutrient composition of some common grasses and legumes in Kenya
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The table shows typical nutrient composition of commonly used grasses and legumes for feeding ruminants in Kenya. It is useful for formulating home made rations for dairy cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants if their nutrient requirements are known. However in using this table, it should be noted that the compositions of feedstuff are never constant and vary because of various causes such as climate, soils and husbandry. Figures from actual analysis of feeds should be used where possible because they are more accurate. These are typical values arising from many years of research and should be used as a guide. Expect the figures to vary between 10 – 15% from actual feed analysis. These values are provided because it is often impossible to analyze all the available feedstuff.
Dry matter (DM)
This is usually a measure of the moisture content of a feedstuff such that the higher the value, the lower the moisture content. It can vary greatly causing variation in feedstuff composition. Chemical composition in a feedstuff is based on dry matter.
Metabolizable Energy (ME MJ/Kg)
This is a measure of energy value of feedstuff expressed as Mega joules or Kilo calories per kilogram.
Total Digestible Nutrients (%TDN)
This has been the standard system for expressing the energy value of feedstuff usually expressed as percentage.
Crude Protein (%CP)
CP gives an indication of the protein content of feedstuff.
Digestible Crude Protein (%DCP)
This is another measure of protein level of a feedstuff.
Crude Fibre (%CF)
CF is a measure of fibre in a feedstuff.
Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorous (P)
These are two very important minerals in cattle.
Fodder |
% DM |
ME(MJ/Kg) |
% TDN |
% CP |
% DCP |
% CF |
% Ca |
% P |
GRASSES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 – 13 cm tall |
55 |
8.6 |
57 |
14.4 |
9.3 |
30 |
0.26 |
0.13 |
|
25 – 35 cm tall |
47 |
9.1 |
60 |
12.8 |
8.0 |
27.2 |
0.35 |
0.18 |
|
With some flowers |
23 |
8.8 |
58 |
6.6 |
2.9 |
29.8 |
0.36 |
0.18 |
|
Full flower |
23 |
9.1 |
60 |
7.2 |
3.4 |
29.1 |
0.41 |
0.20 |
|
Star grass (Cynodon dactylon) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 – 15cm tall |
53 |
9.5 |
63 |
25 |
20.4 |
22.7 |
0.27 |
0.13 |
|
15 – 17cm tall |
23 |
9.4 |
62 |
18.9 |
14.04 |
22 |
0.35 |
0.18 |
|
18 – 23 cm |
22 |
9.4 |
62 |
11.5 |
7.0 |
24.5 |
0.45 |
0.22 |
|
Full flower |
25 |
9.1 |
60 |
8.3 |
4.2 |
30.3 |
0.46 |
0.23 |
|
Hyperrhenia dissoluta |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young leaf |
29 |
8.9 |
59 |
14.5 |
9.5 |
27.1 |
0.3 |
0.15 |
|
Leafy |
20 |
8.2 |
54 |
9.1 |
4.6 |
35 |
0.23 |
0.12 |
|
Stemmy |
14 |
7.3 |
48 |
4.6 |
1.4 |
41 |
0.15 |
0.07 |
|
Flowering / very stemmy |
12 |
7 |
46 |
3.8 |
1.0 |
42.3 |
0.15 |
0.08 |
|
Guinea grass (T/Nzoia variety) – full flower |
14 |
8.3 |
55 |
12 |
7 |
34.7 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
|
Guinea grass (Mackinon Road variety) – full flower |
14 |
8.2 |
54 |
8.3 |
4.3 |
37.0 |
0.27 |
0.13 |
|
Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
24 |
9.4 |
62 |
20.8 |
15.9 |
22.8 |
0.22 |
0.11 |
|
Medium |
29 |
9.2 |
61 |
16.9 |
11.9 |
24.1 |
0.31 |
0.15 |
|
Mature / Dry |
17 |
9.5 |
63 |
10.9 |
6.5 |
22.3 |
0.27 |
0.13 |
|
Napier grass (Penisetum Purpureum) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
22 |
8.3 |
55 |
11.4 |
66 |
32.7 |
0.21 |
0.11 |
|
Mature |
35 |
8.9 |
59 |
7 |
- |
31.4 |
0.24 |
0.12 |
|
Pennisetum schimperi (Early flowering) |
14 |
8.2 |
54 |
9.0 |
4.5 |
35.6 |
0.24 |
0.12 |
|
Pennisetum stramineum |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
12 |
8 |
53 |
6.1 |
2.4 |
37.2 |
0.35 |
0.17 |
|
Medium |
10 |
7.9 |
52 |
4.6 |
1.5 |
37.6 |
0.31 |
0.16 |
|
Mature / Dry |
6 |
6.1 |
40 |
2.4 |
0.4 |
40 |
0.21 |
0.1 |
|
Nandi setaria (Seteria sphacelata) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young – 23cm |
23 |
9.4 |
62 |
15.1 |
10.3 |
22.9 |
0.25 |
0.13 |
|
Medium – 56cm |
22 |
9.2 |
61 |
12.5 |
7.8 |
26.8 |
0.21 |
0.1 |
|
Mature |
9 |
7.4 |
49 |
5.2 |
1.8 |
42.4 |
0.17 |
0.09 |
|
Red Oat (Themeda triandra) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
12 |
8.3 |
55 |
6.7 |
2.9 |
35.2 |
0.16 |
0.08 |
|
Medium |
9 |
8.2 |
54 |
3.8 |
1.14 |
34.9 |
0.31 |
0.16 |
|
Mature |
7 |
6.4 |
42 |
2.7 |
0.5 |
34.7 |
0.26 |
0.13 |
|
Columbus grass |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
17.6 |
|
|
9.8 |
|
31.3 |
- |
- |
|
Mature |
23.2 |
|
|
7.6 |
|
36.4 |
- |
- |
LEGUMES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indigofera subulata (Early flowering) |
24 |
9.7 |
64 |
14.9 |
10.3 |
18.6 |
1.18 |
0.59 |
|
Kenya White Clover |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early flower |
20 |
9.7 |
64 |
20.7 |
16 |
20.9 |
1.2 |
0.6 |
|
Advanced flowering |
19 |
9.1 |
60 |
14.3 |
9.4 |
25 |
1.23 |
0.61 |
|
Lucerne |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 – 46cm |
30 |
9.5 |
63 |
24.4 |
19.6 |
24.1 |
0.8 |
0.4 |
|
Prebudding |
30 |
9.1 |
60 |
21 |
15.8 |
26.9 |
0.78 |
0.39 |
|
Budding / some flower |
30 |
8.9 |
59 |
18.9 |
13.7 |
28.3 |
0.78 |
0.39 |
|
Flowering |
25 |
8.6 |
57 |
19 |
13.6 |
30.8 |
0.85 |
0.42 |
|
Seradella |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
46cm |
10 |
10 |
66 |
24.9 |
20.1 |
17.6 |
0.81 |
0.4 |
|
Early podding |
10 |
9.2 |
61 |
11.2 |
6.7 |
25.6 |
0.89 |
0.45 |
|
Subterranean clover |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early flower |
22 |
10.3 |
68 |
18.2 |
13.8 |
14.6 |
0.72 |
0.36 |
|
Full flower |
25 |
10.4 |
69 |
10 |
6 |
16.7 |
0.75 |
0.37 |
|
Common vetch |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
17 |
- |
- |
34.5 |
- |
23.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mature |
88.5 |
- |
- |
19.2 |
- |
30.2 |
- |
- |
|
Leucaena |
24.5 |
- |
- |
24.5 |
- |
33.6 |
- |
- |
OTHERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rape (Brassica) |
15 |
10.6 |
70 |
19.7 |
15.6 |
9.9 |
0.97 |
0.49 |
|
Kale (Thousand head) |
16 |
9.7 |
64 |
17.5 |
12.8 |
20 |
0.97 |
0.49 |
|
Maize (at tasselling) |
17 |
8.6 |
57 |
8.1 |
4 |
32 |
0.29 |
0.15 |
|
Oat |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31cm |
15 |
10.9 |
72 |
35.3 |
32.7 |
15.9 |
0.29 |
0.15 |
|
46 – 61cm |
20 |
9.4 |
62 |
30.2 |
15.4 |
21.9 |
0.23 |
0.11 |
|
Early flower |
23 |
9.7 |
64 |
9.1 |
5.0 |
22.0 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
|
Sudan grass (Sorghum Sudanese) |
19 |
8.9 |
59 |
15.8 |
10.7 |
28.3 |
0.25 |
0.13 |
|
Sweet potato tops |
17 |
10.6 |
70 |
18.1 |
13.9 |
10.7 |
0.55 |
0.28 |
|
Chicory (mature) |
12 |
10 |
66 |
15.4 |
11 |
15 |
1.11 |
0.56 |
|
Banana leaves |
20 |
9.7 |
64 |
16 |
11.3 |
20 |
0.35 |
0.18 |
|
Cana edulis leaves |
18 |
10 |
66 |
13.1 |
8.7 |
18 |
- |
- |
|
Fodder beet (Hunsballe) |
13 |
11.7 |
77 |
9.5 |
5.8 |
7.5 |
- |
- |
|
Mangold yellow gold |
13 |
11.2 |
74 |
12.4 |
8.4 |
7.5 |
- |
- |
SILAGE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maize performing cob |
28 |
8.6 |
57 |
9.8 |
5.3 |
31.8 |
- |
- |
|
Oats at piping |
30 |
8.7 |
56 |
6.7 |
2.9 |
33.3 |
- |
- |
|
Oats / Lupins |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23cm |
24 |
8.8 |
58 |
10.9 |
6.2 |
31 |
- |
- |
|
46cm |
25 |
8.9 |
59 |
15.9 |
10.8 |
28.3 |
- |
- |
|
61cm |
27 |
8.8 |
58 |
10 |
5.5 |
31.5 |
- |
- |
|
92cm |
28 |
8.6 |
57 |
7.6 |
3.6 |
32.8 |
- |
- |
|
Napier grass (Penisetum Purpureum) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young |
26 |
8.3 |
55 |
11.4 |
6.6 |
32.7 |
- |
- |
|
Mature |
28 |
8.9 |
59 |
7.0 |
3.2 |
31.4 |
- |
- |
|
Pennisetum schimperi (Early flowering) |
10 |
8.2 |
54 |
9.0 |
4.5 |
35.6 |
- |
- |
HAY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
|
Young and leafy |
78 |
8.8 |
58 |
14.7 |
9.73 |
28.9 |
0.33 |
0.16 |
|
Full flower |
83 |
8.5 |
56 |
7 |
2.71 |
33.1 |
0.33 |
0.16 |
|
Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) - Young and leafy |
79 |
8.8 |
58 |
14.1 |
9.1 |
28.4 |
0.33 |
0.16 |
|
Nandi setaria (Seteria sphacelata) - Young and leafy |
90 |
8.8 |
58 |
15.1 |
10 |
28.7 |
0.13 |
0.07 |
|
Oat |
90 |
9.1 |
60 |
6.1 |
2.6 |
29.4 |
0.17 |
0.09 |
|
Lucerne flowering |
88 |
8.6 |
57 |
18.9 |
13.6 |
28.9 |
0.67 |
0.34 |
STRAWS AND STOVERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dolichos leaves / vines |
90 |
9.5 |
63 |
19.9 |
15.1 |
20.5 |
0.96 |
0.48 |
|
Maize stover |
88 |
7.4 |
49 |
3.7 |
1.0 |
39.6 |
0.07 |
0.04 |
|
Oat straw |
88 |
7.3 |
48 |
5.3 |
1.8 |
41.9 |
- |
- |
|
Sorghum stover |
88 |
5.7 |
38 |
2.8 |
0.5 |
43.1 |
- |
- |
|
Soyabean stover |
86 |
8.5 |
56 |
6.0 |
2.4 |
33.7 |
- |
- |
|
Banana leaves |
20 |
9.7 |
64 |
16 |
11.3 |
20 |
0.35 |
0.18 |
|
Cana edulis leaves |
18 |
10 |
66 |
13.1 |
8.7 |
18 |
- |
- |
|
Fodder beet (Hunsballe) |
13 |
11.7 |
77 |
9.5 |
5.8 |
7.5 |
- |
- |
|
Mangold yellow gold |
13 |
11.2 |
74 |
12.4 |
8.4 |
7.5 |
- |
- |