Effect of supplementation of Simada sheep with graded levels of concentrate meal on feed intake, digestibility and body-weight parameters

Protein supplement potential of Dodonaea angustifolia leaves by replacing atella on nutrient utilization and performance of Farta sheep fed natural pasture hay basal diet

Background

Protein feed resources for ruminant animal productions are deficit in Ethiopia.

Objectives

To evaluate the supplementation effects of dried Dodonaea angustifolia leaves (DDL), dried traditional brewery by‐product locally called atella and their mixtures on nutrient utilization and growth performance of Farta sheep fed natural pasture hay (NPH) as basal diet.

Methods

Twenty‐five yearling intact male Farta sheep with average initial body weight of 14.53 ± 1.35 kg (mean ± SD) were used for the study. The experimental sheep were allocated into five blocks of five animals based on their initial body weight. The experiment lasted for 90 days of feeding trial followed by 7 days of digestibility trial. The experimental feeds were NPH ad libitum + 100% DDL + 100 g wheat bran (WB; T1), NPH ad libitum + 75% DDL + 25% dried atella + 100 g WB(T2), NPH ad libitum + 50% DDL + 50% deried atella + 100 g WB (T3), NPH ad libitum + 25% DDL +75% dried atella +100 g WB (T4) and NPH ad libitum + 100% dried atella + 100 g WB (T5).

Results

NPH, DDL and dried atella contained 7.42, 15.39, 21.13% crude protein (CP) and 66, 36, 34% neutral detergent fiber, respectively. Sheep supplemented with increasing level of atella had more dry matter intake (DMI) and crude protein intake (CPI) and the highest of these DMI and CPI were in T5 (868 g/d for dry matter and 113 g/d for CP). This progressive increased CPI from T1 up to T5 was reflected in a significant (p < 0.001) fibers and estimated metabolizable energy intake in the order of T5 > T4 > T3 > T2 > T1. Significant difference (p < 0.001) was recorded on nutrient utilization and the highest was for T5 and lowest for T1. Average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) were significantly (p < 0.001) increased as the atella inclusion level increased. Sheep in T4 and T5 had the highest ADG and FCE with the order of T5 = T4 > T3 > T2 > T1. ADG was correlated positively and highly significant with nutrients intake and digestibility.

Conclusion

Atella supplementation better than DDL and then their mixture (T2–T4) supplementation could be recommended in sheep fattening in the study area.

Effect of supplements on feed utilization of Tigray Highland sheep fed a basal diet of barley straw

The feeding experiment was conducted at Ofla district, southern Tigray, North Ethiopia, to investigate feed utilization, diet digestibility, and its economic feasibility under different supplementation options. Twenty-four yearling intact growing lambs were used in randomized complete block design with three treatments and eight replications. The treatment diets were T1 (molasses 15% + wheat bran 48% + cotton seed cake 35%), T2 (maize grain 20% + wheat bran 43% + noug seed cake 35%) and T3 (maize grain 20% + wheat bran 33% + dried brewers' grain 45%). The diet was formulated as iso-nitrogenous and each animal has taken daily nutrient requirements according to their body weight. The collected data were analyzed using SAS (2007) statistical software. Economic analysis was done using standard partial budget analysis guidelines of CIMMIT (1988). The crude protein contents of the three treatment rations were comparable across treatments. There was a higher total dry matter intake recorded in animals fed on T3 as compared to the other treatments. The barley straw intake was higher and significant (P < 0.05) for the animals' group in T3 than that of T1 and T2. Animals fed with T3 had significantly (P < 0.05) higher organic matter intake as compared to those fed with T1 and T2. However, there was no significant (P > 0.05) differences in crude protein intake between treatments. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein had no significant differences (P > 0.05) between treatments. Similarly, the apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among T1, T2, and T3. In general, animals that fed on T3 achieved better feed utilization and economic return as compared to the others.

Effect of dietary inclusion of safflower meal on ruminal fermentation, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of lambs

This study examines the effect of including graded levels of safflower meal (SM) [0 (SM0), 150 (SM15), or 200 g kg−1 dry matter (SM20)] in diets of Katahdin–Pelibuey lambs on ruminal fermentation, growth performance, and meat quality. Experimental diets were randomly allocated to 24 lambs (29.25 ± 0.55 kg) in a 60 d feeding trial. On day 30, rumen fluid was collected from each sheep at 0, 3, and 6 h after morning feeding to measure pH, ammonia, and volatile fatty acids. Feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality were also measured. Feed intake, ruminal volatile fatty acids concentration, dry matter, and crude protein digestibility were not affected (P > 0.05) by diets. Lambs fed on SM15 had higher (P < 0.05) ruminal pH at 3 and 6 h post feeding compared with those on SM0 and SM20. Inclusion of SM increased (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia concentration at 3 and 6 h post feeding; however, daily gain decreased with increasing levels of SM. Diets did not affect (P > 0.05) carcass and meat quality traits. Feeding SM-containing diets resulted in similar feed utilization, carcass characteristics, and meat quality to the control diet while improving ruminal fermentation parameters.

Sweet blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) seed as a substitute for concentrate mix supplement in the diets of yearling washera rams fed on natural pasture hay as basal diet in Ethiopia

In the mixed crop-livestock farming system of Ethiopia where crop residues are the major feed resources and concentrate supplement feeds are not common, home-grown legume protein sources can help to minimise the feed problem. A 69-day feeding experiment on sheep was conducted to evaluate the potential of sweet blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) cultivar Sanabor seed as a substitute for commercial concentrate supplement. Thirty yearling male intact Washera sheep with initial body weight of 21 ± 1.38 kg (mean ± SD) were used. The design was a randomised complete block design with six replications. The five experimental supplement feeds were 453 g concentrate (T1), 342 g concentrate + 74 g lupin seed (T2), 228 g concentrate + 147 g lupin seed (T3), 116 g concentrate + 219 g lupin seed (T4) and 290 g lupin seed (T5) in dry matter basis to supplement around 100 g crude protein per day per animal. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in total dry matter, crude protein, ash and organic matter intakes among treatments. The average daily body weight gain for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 was 91, 79, 79, 87 and 74 g/day, respectively, and this difference was not significant (P > 0.05). It was concluded that blue lupin seed has a potential to substitute the commercial concentrate supplement feed in Ethiopia.