Determination of Annual Fodder Value of Ebu Cehil (Calligonum Polygonoides L. Ssp. Comosum (L’Hér.)) Shrub

This study was conducted to determine annual fodder value (between april-october 2013) of ebu cehil (calligonum polygonoides l.) shrub naturally growing in igdir province, located in the eastern of turkey. nutritive content showed significant differences by month. annual mean crude protein (cp), neutral detergent fiber (ndf), acide detergent fiber (adf), acide detergent lignin (adl), dry matter digestibility (dmd), digestibility energy (de) and metabolic energy (me) contents ranged from 141.8 g/kg, 496.0 g/kg, 319.8 g/kg, 106.8 g/kg, % 63.18, 2.97 mcal/kg and 2.44 mcal/kg respectively. it was determined that cp, dmd, de and me decreased but ndf, adf, and adl contents increased with maturation. results showed that highest cp, dmd, de and me ratios were determined in april (252.9 g/kg, % 76.98, 3.56 mcal/kg and 2.92 mcal/kg, respectively), lowest rates (75.4 g/kg, % 54.35, 2.59 mcal/kg and 2.13 mcal/kg, respectively) in october. however, highest rates ndf, adf and adl were determined in october (599.7 g/kg, 393.2 g/kg and 127.8 g/kg, respectively), lowest amounts (384.8 g/kg, 209.7 g/kg and 83.1 g/kg, respectively) in april. as a result, it was revealed that c. polygonoides is a good source of fodder especially for feeding of small ruminant and not in need of a supplementary feeding in grazing period.