3. Results
Data for chemical composition of the grass haymixture and concentrates (At1 –At4 and Fa1 –Fa4,respectively) are shown in Table 1. The grass mixture232 J.M.N. Bwire et al. / Livestock Production Science 87 (2004) 229–236was found to have a low crude protein content andhigh fibre content. Energy concentration of the concentrateswas fairly similar and ranged from 10 to 12ME MJ/kg DM. The amount of soluble phenolics in the concentrates increased with increasing level of pods and was found to be highest with the 2 kg DM level of inclusion. Soaking ground pods in water for a period of 24 h before being incorporated in the concentrate mixture had no significant effect on the concentration of soluble phenolics. Soaking reducedCP, ash, ADF and NDF, while other componentsremained fairly constant in A. tortilis pods. In F.albida pods soaking increased the CF, ADF and NDF content, while EE decreased, and other components remained constant.Daily grass hay intake did not differ between treatments (Table 2). All levels of the concentrate supplements were consumed. In both trials, milk yield differed between treatments (P < 0.05). Cows on the high level of A. tortilis in the concentrate mixture(At1) produced more milk than cows that were on the low level and control, respectively. Cows on the 1 kg
DM level of F. albida pods in the concentrate mixture(Fa2) produced more milk than on the 2 kg DM soaked treatment (Fa4). Milk components were fairly similar between the treatments for the two types of pod ( P > 0.05), although there was an elevation of crude protein content in the milk from cows that were on 1 kg DM of F. albida, and total solids in milk from cows on 1 kg DM of A. tortilis in the concentrate mixture. Ash content of the milk from the two types of pods averaged 0.7%. A high degree of unpleasant odour was found in milk from cows that were on the