Hi , we can recover any material if it was not harmful, try to do biochemical analysis to know the composition of these leaves, then dry them and incorporate them into animal feed.

Good luck

Thanks for your response Faiza

Hello Helen; Goats!! They thrive on leaf-rich forage. You might find quite a literature on their diets, use as fire fuel reduction machines (like in California) and the like. Best wishes, Jim Des Lauriers

James Des Laurier's, thanks. You're right, goats live practically on them with zero supplementation almost all year round. Thanks again

I would dispute that leaves are an under-utilised resource. For one thing, there has to be a balance between the number of folivores and the available foliage, that is the folivores must not eat so much foliage that the trees are harmed. The second point is that leaves usually contain metabolites that are harmful or difficult to digest. Not all herbivorous animals can cope with this. Refer to Ian Hume "Marsupial nutrition"

Menzies, thanks for bringing in this angle. True, there's need for balance if not earth may loose it's green habitants.

It depend on the are

Thanks Olugbenga

Yes, very well depending on the perspective of looking at. Originally, leaf meal is usually utilized to provide protein and fibre. However, more recent investigations have been on exploiting the sumptuous minerals and vitamin and/or provitamin compositions of the different leaf meals. It has been recently concluded that with proper processing and proper applications, leaf meal can provide the vitamin required for animal production. Also, the minerals in leaf meal can be harnessed for animal production, particularly with the use of appropriate enzymes. Thank you.

Thanks Olugbenga for bringing in recent findings on leaf meal uses in animal production. This looks to me that our tropical plant leaves can get to the point of being cultivated for use as mineral and multivitamin sources for use in animal production.

Thanks again for this insight

Thanks Olugbenga for bringing in recent findings on leaf meal uses in animal production. This looks to me that our tropical plant leaves can get to the point of being cultivated for use as mineral and multivitamin sources for use in animal production.

Thanks again for this insight

Thanks Olugbenga for bringing in recent findings on leaf meal uses in animal production. This looks to me that our tropical plant leaves can get to the point of being cultivated for use as mineral and multivitamin sources for use in animal production.

Thanks again for this insight

the first person actually answered straight to the point. Yes, that is what the ruminants and the herbivores depends on. However, for the highly producing monogastric farm animals, my earlier answer applies, yes for minerals and provitamin. Soonest, some of our findings with respect to these particularly for poultry, are already in the press and will soon be in the public domain. thank you

Yes, they can live on them provided you are very sure they feed on such leaves naturally as herbivorous or when they are not in captivity. Therefore, such leaves must be carefully selected from the wild, processed or use to feed them directly. Herbivorous naturally feed on variety of leaves in order to get complete body nutrients requirements, hence the need for mixed composition of such variety of leaves during feed formulation. This require study & research. Thank you.

Thank you Pius. We really need to do more searching in order not to create problems for the animals.

Yes, leaf meals can be used as a source of antioxidants, antibacterial and protein in poultry feed.

Thanks Tuty, I agree too.

Leaf meal can be effectively utised in Animal Production. Studies abound on the use of leaf meal in Animal Production.

Thanks Sogunle for the affirmation. It will be interesting to see leaf meal use in commercial animal production, do you think this is possible sir?

Tree leaves are very abundant all year round in tropical Africa; the crop leaves are left wasting and rotting after the crops have been harvested. These leaves have been found to be very rich in vitamins and minerals. Leaf proteins are also very good source of protein for animals. Though the ruminant animals can effectively utilized them, but in non ruminant animals in particular the Poultry, there is limit to the level that can be employed. Many leguminous leaves have been used as either partial replacement of conventional protein feed ingredients or as additives. More researches still needed in this area. Presently I am working on cassava leaves, moringa leaves, Parkia biglobosa leaves, cashew leaves and Syndrenlla nodiflora leaves. Microbial fermentation of these leaves and their applications in meat and egg types chickens. The results so far are quite encouraging. Thank you

Thank you so much Razaq, the angle of 'effect of fermentation' is quite interesting and I'll like to see the results from the studies. Thanks for throwing more light on the topic.

you are welcom. Quite a privilege. Thank you

In the face of corvid-19. Leaves can be the rescue of humans and animals in many places, what do you think?

• This question predated the covid 19 pandemics and so were the various suggested methods of improving dietary intake of the much needed nutrients by the animals. Some of the previous findings for broiler chickens, laying hens and swine are available for deployment now that the global feed situations particularly, has need for it

Thanks Olugbenga. I was just thinking that humans could benefit directly from leaf resources in our environment as we isolate under the current pandemic. For instance, anyone can plant different vegetables in their compound or even in pots for use during this period, especially because veggies may not be as available with CORVID-19. What do you think?

The answer is absolute affirmation. veggies have always been essential component of human foods. Humans are omnivores. It is also imperative to try vegetable gardening now for family consumption. In the rural and peri urban area, this will be easily accomplished. Even in highly urbanised enclaves too, the growing of veggies in pot can be achieved easily. Vegetables contain phytochemicals that are highly valuable for the stimulation of immunity and resistance to any infection including covid-19

Hello Helen; You could look up the term "silage". Fresh vegetable matter, usually crop waste like corn stalks or other unused greens are stored in an airtight container. Fermentation proceeds. The result is excellent winter feed for livestock.

Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers

Leaf meals can be used in livestock feeding. While as we know ruminants can effectively use them. Non-ruminants too do survive on pasture chickens and pigs forage in the outdoors, however I believe this animals can not be compared to their cousins in the wild who had not been developed genetically for fast growth rate. To use leaf meals in substantial quantities for chicken and pigs will require concerted efforts at predigestion of the fibre components. We may also needs other novel treatments to do this has had been mentioned here