Utilizing Plant Leaves to Create Novel Feed Pellets to Encourage and Improve Kalasin Province’s Beef Cattle Production

The effects of substituting pelleted diets manufactured from cassava, chaya, and mulberry leaves for concentrate on growth performance, feed intake, rumen fermentation, and microbial protein synthesis in beef cattle were evaluated. Four beef cattle (initial BW: 250 ± 50 kg) were assigned to four treatments: a control diet (T1) and diets in which 50% of the concentrate was replaced with cassava leaf pellets (T2), chaya leaf pellets (T3), or mulberry leaf pellets (T4). The data were analyzed using a 4 × 4 Latin square with animal as a period effect as appropriate. Rumen volatile fatty acids were determined by means of HPLC, and microbial protein synthesis was assessed using urinary purine derivatives. Cattle fed cassava leaf pellets (T2) showed the greatest average daily gain (0.79 kg/d) compared with the control (0.50 kg/d; p < 0.05). Compared with T1, T4 exhibited a higher ruminal propionate proportion and total VFA concentration, which was associated with a lower acetate-to-propionate pattern, suggesting reduced methanogenic potential. No adverse health effects were observed, as indicated by hematocrit and blood urea nitrogen values within normal ranges. Microbial protein production increased in the leaf-pellet treatments, with T4 showing the highest efficiency. Overall, cassava, chaya, and mulberry leaf pellets can partially replace concentrate while maintaining growth performance and improving rumen fermentation efficiency in beef cattle.