Purpose The aim was to uncover the nutritional values of mulberry leaf and silkworm feces as animal feed.
Method Mulberry leaf and silkworm feces were collected from Xiangyun and Luliang Counties in Yunnan Province to evaluate the common nutritional ingredient and forage quality.
Result Mulberry leaf and silkworm feces contained abundant nutritional values, of which crude protein (CP) content of mulberry leaf-tip was the highest (27.96%) among the material types, followed by mulberry leaf, silkworm feces, silkworm feces+leaf stem. The CP content of mulberry leaf-tip was higher than those of silkworm feces, silkworm feces+leaf stem (leaf petiole+vein) mixture, and mulberry leaf stem (leaf petiole+vein) (P<0.01). There was a slight difference of CP contents between silkworm feces and silkworm feces+leaf stem (P>0.05). The ether extract (EE) content of mulberry leaf-tip was the highest (3.43%), while the counterparts of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) was quite the contrary. The ash content was the highest in silkworm feces and silkworm feces+leaf stem, followed by mulberry leaf and mulberry leaf-tip. The calcium (Ca) content of mulberry leaf-tip was the lowest (1.16%), that in mulberry leaf stem was lower than those of mulberry leaf and silkworm feces. There was no difference among the phosphorus (P) contents totally (P>0.05) except for mulberry leaf-tip. The relative feed values (RFVs) and forage grading indexes (GIs) were much greater than those of alfalfa and corn silage, while the rank of GIs had some differences from RFVs.
Conclusion In conclusion, the values of RFV and GI in mulberry leaf-tip were the highest, followed by mulberry leaf, mulberry leaf stem, silkworm feces+leaf stem and silkworm feces. With higher values of RFVs and GIs, the qualities of mulberry leaf and silkworm feces were significantly superior to the common economic crop byproducts to rival the alfalfa as the king of forages, which was a large amount of superior animal feed source.
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