**9. Discussion**

The high level of moisture content (89.3%) in the baobab bark could be an advantage as sole feed for ruminants in the period of scarcity of water. The consumption of high water content forages reduces water intake by ruminant, but may however make for difficulties in obtaining a sufficiently high DMI (payne, 1990). The 10.70% crude protein in the Baobab bark appears to be adequate in the compounded ration of ruminant. A diet of 10% crude protein has been reported adequate in meeting the maintenance requirements of sheep and goats (NRC, 1980). Adansonia digitata bark would appear from the proximate component, to be adequate as sole feed supplement for sheep.

It appears that the grass was more preferred than the concentrate. The preference of the experimental rams for grass over concentrate supplement could be attributed to the more succulent nature of the grass than the dry and coarse concentrate supplement. The higher intake of grass in all the diets is an index of the better acceptability of the grass forage to the rams than concentrate diet containing baobab bark (Aina, 1998). However, the animals responded better in terms of ADG and DMI as the inclusion level increased in the concentrate diet than the control. The results also suggested clearly that the rams treated with D4 showed the highest total DMI, FCR and ADG compared with other treatment groups (Table 3). The increasing DMI of concentrate diet with increasing level of baobab bark inclusion up to the maximum (D4) is an indication that higher levels may still be accommodated by the animals. The increasing growth rate with increasing baobab inclusion in the diet suggested beneficial effects of the bark and an encouragement for better performance in the WAD rams.

The results of the environmental and physiological parameters (Table 4) show the uniformity in the environmental parameters and physiological status of the animals as well as lack of effect of dietary treatments on those physiological parameters of the animals. The pulse rate (beats/min) range of 76-78 agree with the records of Olusanya and Heath (1988) who stated that the heart rate of sheep falls into the range 60-120 beats/min. It can thus be inferred that the baobab bark inclusion in the diet of sheep up to 15% of the compounded diet is safe for consumption.
