Supplementation of isonitrogenous oil seed cakes in cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica)-tef straw (Eragrostis tef) based feeding of Tigray Highland sheep
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Elsevier
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The experiment was conducted at Maichew Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training College, Ethiopia. Twenty four male yearling Tigray Highland sheep with mean body weight (BW) of 21 ± 2.6 kg (mean ± S.D.) were used to investigate the effect of different protein sources on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, BW change and carcass parameters in a study comprising of 90 days feeding trial, followed by 7 days of digestibility trial and evaluation of carcass parameters. Six individually fed animals were used per treatment in a randomized complete block design. The treatments consisted of ad libitum feeding of tef (Eragrostis tef) straw plus 172 g dry matter (DM) of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) pear (T1, control) and supplementation with 145 g DM cotton seed cake (CSC) (T2), 195 g DM noug seed cake (NSC) (T3) or 149 g DM peanut cake (PNC) (T4) per head per day. The quantity of the supplements was set to supply 62.5 g crude protein (CP). Tef straw DM intake was depressed (P<0.01) as the result of NSC supplementation. Sheep supplemented with CSC and PNC had higher (P<0.001) total DM intake than the control and NSC supplemented ones. Supplementation with NSC and PNC also resulted in higher (P<0.01) apparent digestibility of DM and OM compared to the control treatment. Supplementation with CSC and PNC resulted in better daily BW gain (P<0.001), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and dressed carcass weight (P<0.01) compared to the non-supplemented diet. Dressing percentage on slaughter weight base was higher (P<0.01) in supplemented sheep than in the non-supplemented ones. Supplementation with PNC also promoted higher (P<0.05) rib-eye muscle area than in the non-supplemented ones. It was concluded that supplementation with 145 g DM CSC and 149 g DM PNC resulted in better feed intake, BW gain and carcass traits in cactus–tef straw based feeding of sheep.
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opuntia ficus indica, scrub, supplements, sheep [caprinae], body weight, carcass composition, digestibility, feed intake, eragrostis tef, straw, chemical composition, water uptake, oilseed cakes