Browse species from Ethiopia: role in methane reduction and nematode control in goats

The aim of the PhD research was to evaluate a number of important browse species (trees and shrubs) from Ethiopia in their role of reducing establishment of Haemonchus contortus infective larvae and the formation of methane in the rumen to improve goats’ performance. The effects observed were mainly associated with the condensed tannin (CT) content of the browse species. Condensed tannins are distributed in various plants and play a role in plants’ defence mechanism against parasite and herbivory. Goats have the capacity to tolerate higher CT levels compared to other domestic ruminants. In the present work, local goats showed preference for high CT containing browse species. In addition, CT-containing browse exhibited anthelmintic properties against H. contortus larvae and also significantly reduced methane production in vitro. The results of the present work indicated that CT-containing browse species can be efficient to control nematodes and improve feed utilization in goat production.