Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists). It is a member of the family Apiaceae (formerly the Umbelliferae). It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly-flavoured leaves and seeds. Its aniseed flavor comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong. Seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. There are historical anecdotes that fennel is a galactogogue improving the milk supply of a breastfeeding mother (Crellin et al., 1989). This use, although not supported by direct evidence, is sometimes justified by the fact that fennel is a source of phytoestrogens, which promote growth of breast tissue (Mark, 2000). The effects in animals is unclear, thus determination of these effects will be important for animals especially ruminants. The objective of this experiment was determination of DM degradability and chemical composition of Fennel seeds.

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