Potential contribution of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves to dry season feeding of ruminants in West Africa

This study sought to review relevant published works on the use of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves in ruminant feeding with the view to highlighting its potential and constraints. Several studies have been conducted on the use of the neem seed as a protein source in animal feed. The leaves, however, have not received as much attention. The neem plant is very drought tolerant and yields a lot of forage even during the dry season. It is readily available in most parts of Ghana and a dominant tree species in the Accra Plains which is the most important livestock producing area in southern Ghana. Considering the drastic decline in forage availability during the dry season, such an evergreen plant can contribute significantly towards alleviating the nutritional inadequacies experienced by ruminants during the dry season. Neem leaves have higher crude protein concentration than most non-leguminous tree leaves. This coupled with a low level of fibre make it suitable as a protein supplement for ruminants on poor quality diets. However, neem leaves contain some bioactive agents, namely, azadirachtin and nimbidin, which are anti-nutritional in nature. This notwithstanding, some studies have reported no adverse effect of feeding neem leaves to livestock. Neem leaves have been fed to sheep, goats and cattle to improve their performance. It was concluded that neem leaves can be a useful dry season fodder species in the dryer areas of Ghana where ruminant feeding during the often prolonged dry season is a major challenge.