American Journal of Zoology 2020; 3(4): 72-77 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajz doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20200304.12 Performance of Goats Fed on Graded Levels of Syringa (Melia Azedarach) Based Pellets Fattening Diets Passmore Temba Mudhanganyi * , Irvine Denis Tapera Mpofu, James Madzimure Department of Animal Production and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe Email address: * Corresponding author To cite this article: Passmore Temba Mudhanganyi, Irvine Denis Tapera Mpofu, James Madzimure. Performance of Goats Fed on Graded Levels of Syringa (Melia Azedarach) Based Pellets Fattening Diets. American Journal of Zoology. Vol. 3, No. 4, 2020, pp. 72-77. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20200304.12 Received: October 12, 2020; Accepted: October 28, 2020; Published: December 16, 2020 Abstract: Melia azedarach, commonly known as Syringa is a potential forage tree that has a relatively high crude protein and mostly used in feeding ruminant animals. Twelve Small East African goats were used in this experiment in a completely randomised design. Each goat was randomly allotted to four different treatments. This was done to evaluate the effects of graded levels of Melia azedarach-based pellets on feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and nematode egg count per gram during feeding for 56 days at Chinhoyi University of Technology farm. Feed formulation was done using I. D. T Try and Error Iteration software. Air dried Syringa leaves were used to produce four iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic treatment diets with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% M. azedarach in pellet form. Each treatment had 3 goats and each goat was a replicate. Increase in the inclusion level of had a negative effect on feed intake (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio and average daily weight gain had no significant differences across all treatments. Increase in M. azedarach reduced egg count per gram of nematodes. At 15% the nematode egg count per gram decreases significantly when compared with other treatments (P<0.05). Egg count per gram was highest in 0% M. azedarach diet showing the inability of soya-based pellets to act as anthelmentic in goats. The present study indicates the beneficial anthelmentic action of the leaves of the M. azedarach tree on gastrointestinal nematodes in goats. This makes M. azedarach a candidate for the natural control of nematodiasis. Keywords: Melia Azedarach, Nematodiasis, Anthelmentic 1. Introduction Goat production in Zimbabwe occurs in two categories: that is subsistence farming and commercial production [1]. About 98 percent of goats in Zimbabwe are indigenous breeds and owned by smallholder farmers [2, 3]. Most of them are kept in the drier agro-ecological zones that are Natural Ecological Regions IV and V which experience rainfall as low as 600mm per year with periodic droughts and extended dry spells. Overall, the importance of goats increases as the rainfall amount decreases due to their unique ability to survive and maintain reasonable production performance even in adverse climatic conditions [4]. Seasonal variations play a potential role in the nutrient composition of common browse [5]. During the rainy season, the nutritional composition of browse improves and so as availability. Goat production is limited by seasonality of feed availability as well as the presence of gastrointestinal parasites [6]. The presence of nematodes in the intestines reduces the feed conversion efficiency of goats [7]. The synthetic commercial drugs used to control parasites are expensive; and out of reach for many resource-poor farmers, especially the small-holder farmers [7-9]. The use of synthetic dewormers in organic farming is negatively affected by heavy loads of nematodes and anthelmentic resistance [10]. This creates a need for low cost and locally available feed ingredients with anthelmintic properties. One such plant is Melia azedarach, commonly known as Syringa. Syringa is an evergreen plant, fast growing in popularity in Southern Africa, where it has been declared invasive in countries like South Africa. M. azedarach can form dense foliage and extensive clonal stands in very short periods, thus preventing the entry of native woody species [11]. The speed and effectiveness of the invasive process achieved by M. azedarach are strongly influenced by the abundance and the