Determination of nutritional value of terebinth and styrax tree according to the grazed plant parts and seasons

Small ruminant breeding is one of the most important sources of livelihood in rural areas of the Mediterranean region. Many shrubs in this region are important feed sources for ruminants. On the other hand, in order to obtain maximum performance from grazing livestock, grazing time and capacity should be determined correctly. One of the ways of achieving this is to determine the feed value of grazing species according to seasons. In addition, the small ruminants graze not only the leaves of shrub species, but also shoot+leaves together. For this purpose, a study was planned to reveal the nutritional content of leaf and leaf+shoots of Terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus L.) and Styrax Tree (Styrax officinalis L.) in spring, summer and autumn periods in 2014. Research was established according to randomized blocks factorial experimental design with four replications in Kilis Maqius and CP, NDF, ADF, ADL, DMD, DE, ME and RFV were investigated in fodder samples. According to results; the examined nutritional values were found significant between species (except CP) and seasons, but insignificant between feed types (except CP, NDF and RFV). Among species, it was determined that Styrax Tree had higher feed quality than Terebinth. The highest feed value was determined in spring, followed by summer and autumn. Leaves had higher HP and NYD, and lower NDF than leaf+shoots. Consequently, it was determined that both species were suitable for grazing in spring and summer periods without needing an additional feed supplementation. It was also revealed that animals grazing only leaves could attain a higher animal performance