A comparative study on rate of passage of mulberry (Morus alba L.) green leaves in sheep and goats

An experiment was conducted by using ten growing animals, five each of Sonadi x Corriedale sheep (18.5–23.4 kg) and Sirohi goats (19.5–24.8 kg). The animals were fed on mulberry green leaves ad lib. The 5 per cent excretion time, rumen retention time (S) and mean retention time (R) was 17.50±1.76, 62.25±2.73 and 56.54±3.15 hr., respectively for sheep and 18.75±0.78, 50.50±3.13 and 46.96±3.15 hr., respectively for goats. The differences for 5 per cent excretion time was non-significant but the differences for 80-5 excretion time (S) and mean retention time (R) were statistically significant (P<0.05) between sheep and goats. The mulberry green leaves were retained for a longer duration in the reticulo-rumen of sheep as compared to goats. Thus, it can be concluded that mulberry green leaves were better utilized by goats as compared to sheep.