Utilization of Mesquite Pods for Feeding Kids Grazing the Natural Ranges of Halaib Region

— This study was amid to investigate animal response to replacement 15% of concentrate feed mixture (CFM) with ground mesquite pods without and with 4% Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 in invitro and invivo experiments. In vitro rumen gas production values at 24h were 58.67, 55.0 and 61.67 ml/400mg for CFM1, CFM2 (15% mesquite pods) and CFM3(15% mesquite pods + 4%PEG4000) respectively. Dry matter digestibility (DMD %) was 63.58, 64.50 and 66.65% for CFM1, CFM2 and CFM3, respectively. In vivo experiment was done using 15 growing goat kids (10.49±1.29 Kg) which were randomly divided into three groups. Group one (G1) was fed on concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and pasture (desert grass, Panicumtidrgium), group two (G2) was fed on CFM with 15% ground mesquite pods and pasture and group three (G3) was fed on with 15% ground mesquite pods plus 4% PEG 4000. Using PEG 4000 in G3 resulted in increasing intake from pasture by 19.45 and 30.51% from pasture intake in G1 and G2, respectively. Digestibility coefficients were very close to each other’s. Values of NDF and ADF digestibility tended to increase in mesquite pods groups (G2 and G3) compared to control group (G1). Also, TDN% values were 74.46, 77.69 and 77.68% for G1, G2, and G3, respectively. Using PEG 4000 (G3) with mesquite pods had the best values over all groups in average daily gain (60.13 g/day),body weight gain (9.02 Kg) and final body weight (19.5 Kg).Serum parameters were under normal range of healthy goats. In general, using mesquite pods decreased feed cost per day by about 21% from control diet and PEG group as well.


INTRODUCTION
Despite their robust growth and their high ability to adapt to harsh conditions in a wide range of environments around the world, invasive mesquite trees (Prosopisspp) represent a tangible threat to the sustainability of natural resources in rangelands and cultivated lands in many countries of the world. Mesquite (Prosiopsjoulifrolra) is an evergreen, nitrogen-fixing and xerophyte tree with many advantages like, fast growth, drought tolerance, Sand dune stabilization, sources of feeds (leaves and pods), offering shelters for wildlife, fire woods and coals. But also has disadvantages like highly competitive growth with other plant species (by allelopathic effects) which reduce the plant biodiversity, consume water resources in arid and semi-arid regions, leaves are less to unpalatable (except for camels) due to thorns and high anti-nutritional factors (like tannins) in the leaves, meanwhile dry matter intake maybe reduced when animals fed on diet consisted of 20% or more of mesquite Several studies reported that shrub encroachment like mesquite in some Arab countriessuch Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Oman, and Yemen which resulted in negative impact on rangeland heath and productivity. Mesquite encroachment had negativity impacted the rangelands condition in southeastern Egypt, whereas areas with high mesquite cover were associated with lower Panicumturgidum coverage (Mohamed, et al., 2015;Mohamed, 2019). The area of lands that were invaded by Mesquite in Tokar Delta in eastern Sudan was estimated at 297 thousand acres out of the total area of Tokar Delta, which is estimated at 406 thousand acres. In a recent study (Nzumira, 2014) to assess the changes occurring in the vegetation cover of mesquite trees and the extent of their invasion of the Gash delta lands in eastern Sudan, it was found that the mesquite trees covered an area of 142 thousand hectares of the total area of the Gash Delta, which is estimated at about 372 thousand hectares in the period between year 1979 and 2013.
Many efforts were done in infected areas around the world to control mesquite trees widespread using physical (by firing), mechanical (by removing), chemical (pesticides) and biological (by introducing insects) control ( (Sawal et al., 2004) and reducing unemployment that maybe will be source of income and enhance livelihood of poor farmers in arid regions.
Experience has shown that the mesquite extermination programs achieve temporary success, as soon as it fades away and the mesquite trees re-spread again, so presenting an integrated management program for mesquite trees in the Arab world is of importance in achieving sustainable development for the Arab countries that have been negatively affected by the invasion of mesquite and those that exhibit the spread of mesquite in those countries. This program should include a mixture between sustainable control methods and the economic adaptation of mesquite trees to become a source of additional income for farmers and herders.So, this study is aimed to investigate the responses of growing goats' kids when feeding on ground mesquite pods as part of concentrate portion of diet using in vitro and in vivo tools. (4200 m 2 ) in the wet season and 1.25 Ton/ feddan in the dry season, respectively.

Mesquite pods collection and Preparation
Air dried full mature mesquite pods were collected from around mesquite trees -Halaib and Shalateen region -by hands and stored under indirect sun cured and well ventilated shade. Then ground into fine powder and well mixed with other feed ingredients to make three different combinations of concentrate feed mixtures as shown in Table(1):

In vitro experiments
In vitro gas production was carried out according to Menke and Steingass (1988). Two healthy adult fistulatedBarki rams were fed on good quality Egyptian clover hay (60%) and concentrate feed mixture (40%) which were used as a source of rumen liquor which. Finely ground(Approximately 400mg, air dried) concentrates samples (CFM1, CFM2 and CFM3) were accurately weighted into glass bottle then incubated with buffered rumen liquor for 48h and incubated anaerobically at 39°C. Total gas production was measured at 24 and 48h. Then pH was measured immediately using digital pH meter. Ammonia and, total volatile fatty acids (TVF's),in vitro dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber(NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility were determined.
Organic matter digestibility (OMD) , Metabolisable energy (ME) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were calculated from the amount of gas produced at 24hrs of incubation with the components of feeds from crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE ) and total ash (TA) according Menke and Steingass (1988) for concentrate samples.

In vivo experiment
Fifteen growing male Blady goat kids (10.49 ± 1.29 Kg) were used in the feeding trail for five months divided on randomly basis into three groups (five animals per each group). Before commencing the trial all animal were drenching against internal parasites, animals fed on CFM by 3% of live body weight according NRC (1981) and allow daily to graze desert grass (Panicumturgidum). Animals were weighted biweekly and concentrate feeds were adjusted according animal body weight. Drinking water was available three times per day. Mineral blocks were freely available.

Digestibility trials and determine pasture dry matter intake:
Fecal collection bags were used to quantitative collection of feces from each animal daily for five days. Fecal bags were emptied daily weighted and 10% samples were taken and dried at 65º C for a constant weight.The pasture intake and digestibility were determined using the acid insoluble ash (AIA) method as internal marker (Schneider and Flatt (1975). Using the following equations: -Marker in pasture = Marker in feces -Marker in concentrate diet.
[Total marker in range intake per day]
Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before morning feeding and were allowed to stand at room temperature for 1h then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 20 min to get serum then and stored at -20 °C for further analysis of blood metabolites using colorimetric methods as follows: Total protein and albumin were measured according to Gornal et al. (1949) and Doumas et al. (1971), respectively and globulin was determined by the difference (TP-Alb). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was determined according to Fawcett and Soctt (1960). Blood serum creatinine was determined according to Bartles et al. (1972) and Larsen (1972).

Statistical analysis
Data Differences among treatments were significantly checked using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's new multiple range test (Duncan, 1955) was used to compare between means. The relationships between in vitro parameters were checked for simple correlation. The General Linear Model (GLM) of SAS (1996) was applied.

In vitro experiment
In vitro gas production parameters are shown in Table (3) and correlation coefficient of gas production parameters are shown in Table ( (Table 3).
Polyethylene glycol (a synthetic polymer) has higher affinity to tannins more than protein. It disrupts tannin-protein complexes and increases protein availability for rumen microflora and then to the host animal. The PEG has positive effects like increase feed intake, digestibility, and live weight gain in animals fed on tannin-rich diets. On other hand PEG had negative effects like very expensive especially in developing countries and it may reduce the effect of tannin on decreasing methane production and internal parasites Using PEG 4000 as feed additives in CFM3 enhanced total gas production in 24 and 48h by 12.13 and 8.11% of CFM2, respectively. But this addition just increased DMD% with 3.33% over mesquite pods without PEG (CFM2). In the same direction Guerrero et al., (2012) found that in in vitro study that PEG supplementation of Acacia constricta shrub with low CT(0.3%) that increased significantly gas production from 137 to 207 ml 24h, but with small little increase in DMD 54. 6     Average total DMI was 733.69, 708.43 and 822.72 g/day for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. Calculated mesquite pods percentage from total diet in current study were 14.05% from G2 and 14.15 % from G3 that level didn't induce negative effects on feed intake which started to decrease feed intake may be at 20% inclusion as reported by Obeidatand Shdaifat (2013) who also reported that replacement mesquite pods in lactating Awasssi ewes' diet from 0 to 12.5% didn't affect DMI but when increasing the percentage of replacement to 25% then TDMI decreased by 2.36 and 2.6 % of 0 to 12.5% mesquite pods replacement groups, respectively. Similar finding was observed for OM, CP and fibre fraction (NDF and ADF) intakes, it can notice that, kids in G3 group had higher intake from OM, CP, NDF and ADF than other groups, but, this increase was insignificantly.

Body weight changes
Body weight changes through feeding period are illustrated in Fig. (1). It can be observed from the figure that goats consumed about one month as adaptation period (which means no changes in ADG). Same resulted was obtained by Mahgoub et al., (2005) who reported goats fed on 0, 10, 20 and 30% mesquite pods needed about one month to start gaining weight.
Initial, final body weight and average daily gain are shown in Table (

Feed conversion and economic evaluation
Feed conversionratios were 10.87, 10.77 and 9.60 DMI/kgBW for G1, G2 and G3, respectively (  Economic efficiency (price of total body gain / cost of total feed consumed) * feed cost/day is for concentrate and forage assumed to equal zero according to Nasser (2020) Economic indicators of feeds were calculated in Egyptian pound (EP) based on the price of the year 2020. The price per ton was assigned as follows; Ground mesquite pods 1000 EP; CFM 5000 EP; PEG 30000 EP, The price of kg live body weight at purchase or selling was 60 EP.

Some blood metabolites
Blood serum metabolites values of experimental goats are shown Table (8). All blood parameters were involved in the normal range of goats according to Jackson and Cockcroft (2002).That reflects safety level of mesquite pods were used in current study without any toxicity indicators in the blood serum parameters. In the same trend Chharan get al., (2020) reported that blood serum protein was 8.02 and 8.10 g/dl and serum glucose was 72.00 and 69.75 mg/dl in growing goats fed on control diet or diet with 20% mesquite pods for105

IV. CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that replacing wheat bran with mesquite pods at level 15% of concentre diet did not have any adverse effects on growing goat kids and it can reduce feed cost and increase economic efficiency of goat feeding under study conditions. There is need for further studies about how to reduce negative animals' responses to increase levels of mesquite pods up to 20% or more. Also there is a need to find out affordable alternative of PEG 4000 when using mesquite pods.These results could encourage small holders in desert areas to feed low cost Mesquite pods for goats, sheep and camels and reduce invasion of Mesquite trees at the same time.