Effect of replacing alfalfa with processed potato vines on growth performance, ruminal and total tract digestibility and blood metabolites in fattening lambs

Nutritional response to water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) challenges via blood biochemical profiles in goats and sheep

Eichhornia crassipes remains a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and poses economic challenges globally. Interestingly, its high nutritional value and abundance in water bodies, making it a promising and cost-effective source of animal feed. The purpose of the study was to see how varying inclusion rates of E. crassipise affected the blood biochemical profiles of Doyogena sheep and Woyto-Guji goat local breeds. Twelve sheep and twelve goats were used in a 2*4 randomized crossover design with two species, four diets, and four phases (15-day adaptation plus 7-day experimental diets), and on the last day blood sample collected. The dietary treatments included E. crassipise (0, 25, 50, and 75%) as a substitute for commercial concentrate. The data were analyzed using SAS software tool PROC GLM, and Pearson's correlation coefficient between serum biochemical indices was computed. Results of AST, ALB, GLB, AST/ALT, and A/G showed significant (P < 0.0001), ALP (P < 0.005), and GLU (P < 0.05) differences between species of animals, except for ALT, CREAT, TP, and UREA. Sheep had higher values for AST, ALP, GLB, AST/ALT, CREAT, and UREA, except for A/G, ALB, ALT, and TP. Among treatments and treatment species interaction effect did not show variation in all studied parameters. Positive correlations were observed between ALT and AST, TP and ALB, and A/G and ALB, negative correlations were observed between ALT and AST/ALT, TP and A/G; GLB and A/G in sheep. Furthermore, positive correlations were observed between AST/ALT with ALT and AST and ALB with TP and A/G; however, negative correlations were observed between ALB with TP and A/G in goats. It was concluded that substituting E. crassipise with concentrate had no adverse effect on the serum biochemical profile.

Effect of Potato Vine and Leaf Mixed Silage Compared to Whole Corn Crops on Growth Performance, Apparent Digestibility, and Serum Biochemical Characteristics of Fattening Angus Bull

This study aims to explore the different growth performances of the Angus bull on potato vine and leaf mixed silage in the early fattening period and to provide a reference animal production trial. Thirty-six 13-month-old Angus bulls were divided into three groups with 403.22 ± 38.97 kg initial body weight and fed with three different silage diets: (1) control: whole-plant corn silage as control (CS); (2) treatment 1: 50% whole-plant corn +50% potato vine and leaf silage (PVS1); and (3) treatment 2: 75% potato vine and leaf +15% rice straw +10% cornmeal silage (PVS2). After the 14 days pre-feeding, the formal experiment was carried out for 89 days. The result showed that the ash content of the potato vine and leaf mixed silage (PVS) in the treatment groups was higher than that in control group, and the ash content of PVS1 and PVS2 even reached 10.42% and 18.48% (DM%), respectively, which was much higher than that of the CS group at 4.94%. The crude protein content in silage also increased with the additional amount of potato vine and leaf. The apparent crude protein digestibility of the PVS groups was also significantly higher than that of the CS group (p < 0.05). In terms of serum biochemical indexes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the experimental groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with PVS2, cholesterol (CHO) was significantly lower in the CS and PVS1 groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of PVS2 were significantly higher than those of the CS and PVS1 group (p < 0.05), and daily gain (ADG) as a key production index had a significantly negative correlation with the CHO (r = -0.38, p < 0.05) and HDL-C (r = -0.40, p < 0.05) of cattle. In conclusion, PVS had higher crude protein content and ash but less starch than whole-corn silage. The PVS could replace whole-plant corn silage at the same dry matter status and did not affect the weight gain in this trial.

Biochemical indices and heamtological parameters of goats fed lablab purpureus and vigna unguiculata as supplements to a chloris gayana basal diet

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of forage legume diets on haematological and biochemical indices of Xhosa goats. Eighteen animals, one-year-old, of average live weight 14.13 ± 0.24 kg were assigned, in a completely randomized design, to three treatment diets. Animals were housed individually and sex was equally represented among treatments with 6 animals per treatment. Weights and blood samples were taken every fortnight. A pair of blood samples (5 ml each) were collected from each goat, via jugular vein puncture and were subjected to either haematological or biochemical analysis. The results show that treatment diets and sex significantly (P < 0.05) affected DMI, total gain, ADG, and feed conversion ratio. Treatment diets and sex had no effects (P > 0.05) on serum total proteins, globulins, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma- glutamyl transferase concentrations. The diet influenced albumin was (P < 0.05) while sex influenced ALP concentration (P < 0.05). Measured over time, the plasma concentration of urea and ALP significantly increased (P < 0.05) while creatinine and cholesterol concentration decreased (P < 0.05). Although the overall blood biochemical properties remain unchanged among the treatments and between sexes; treatment by sex, treatment by day and sex by day interactions were significant (P < 0.05). The white blood cells, red blood cell, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, haemoglobin, haematocrit, and platelet and mean platelet volume levels were similar among treatments and between sexes (P > 0.05). The mean cell volume and red cell distribution width were different among treatments (P < 0.05). Treatment diets significantly (P < 0.05) influenced neutrophil (%) content while sex influenced basophile (%) content. In conclusion forage legumes did not cause toxicity in goats or any pathological condition.