Nutrient Composition for Field Legumes for Rabbits - Paul Mutai - Bog

Legumes as source of protein for animals Four common field legumes (Family leguminosea) namely the green leaf desmodium (Desmodium intorturm), lucern (Medicago sativa), Common Vetch, (Vicia-sativa) and bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris) are generally known to be good sources of protein to livestock both ruminants and non-ruminants. The green leaf desmodium is a tropical perennial forage and is a climbing plant with roots, nodes, and terminal deep pink coloured flowers. It is known to be palatable to livestock and that it has more vegetative growth than the silver leaf desmodium (Desmodium incanum).Lucerne legume is a multipurpose forage and can be used both for direct grazing usually under strip grazing or can be cut and conserved as hay or silage. Its major challenge, unlike desmodium is vulnerability to salinity, hence its establishment limitation in Kenyäs varied agro-ecological zones. The Common Vetch is an annual climbing legume with slender branched tap root and terminal tendrils that facilitate climbing on other plants. The leaves are coloured blue to purple and provides palatable forage and can be fed fresh or as hay or silage.