Utilisation des ressources alimentaires non conventionnelles par les petits ruminants

The use of non conventional feedstuffs by small ruminants is rarely reported in the literature. In this text the conditions of their use are reviewed: availability, absence of toxicity, chemical composition and/or alimentary value, storage conditions and integration in balanced rations. The use of sugar cane by-products (poorly consumed) and those of cassava (toxic) are not presented. Owing to their chemical composition (DM, CP, ADF, NDF) the foliages of banana are similar to good tropical forages. However they have very few parameters of digestibility. The banana’s stem have inverted characteristics. These two banana’s parts are considered as forage substitutes and gave very satisfactory results in experiments. The green fruit has high content of starch while the matured one is rich of soluble glucides. But the two ones have low contents of proteins and minerals. Owing to these characteristics the fruit is considered as a substitute of cereals and energetic concentrate. The pine-apple by-products conserved as good silage and complemented by soya and urea give very good results with fattening lambs. In the second part two examples obtained in small goat farm deal with the use of sweet potatoes as forage on one hand and on the other hand with the exploitation of shrubs and abandoned coffee plantation.