Effects of dietary inclusion of discarded cabbage (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>capitata</i>) on the growth performance of South African Dorper lambs

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary inclusion of discarded cabbage (DC) on the intake and growth performance of lambs. Diets containing 0 (control, DC0), 100 g DC/kg (DC100), 150 g DC/kg (DC150) and 200 g DC/kg (DC200) were fed ad libitum to 36 South African Dorper lambs (22.0 ± 1.3 kg live weight). The dry matter intake (DMI) and lamb growth performance was reduced as the level of cabbage in the diet increased. The feed conversion rate of lambs was negatively affected by inclusion of cabbage in the diet. Diets containing cabbage had a lower DM, OM and aNDF digestibility compared with the control. Nitrogen intake and retention was lower in lambs fed diets containing cabbage. Discarded cabbage can be included in finishing diets for lambs but reduced animal performance can be expected.

Broccoli byproduct-wheat straw silage as a feed resource for fattening lambs1

“…It was noted that NDF digestibility provides an accurate estimation of intake ( Harper and McNeill, 2015 ). A correlation between NDF digestibility and intake was stated by Nkosi et al (2016) who noted a lower DMI for lambs fed fresh Brassica ( oleracea var. capitata ) compared to a Brassica-free diet (1,420 vs. 1,600 g).…”

“…It has been stated that increased concentrations of fresh cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var. capitata ) in the diet of lambs reduced OM and NDF digestibility (73% vs. 65%; 56% vs. 47%, respectively; Nkosi et al, 2016 ).…”

“…In an in vitro work, the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and aerobic stability of cabbage silages either mixed with 40 g ground corn or treated with bacterial inoculant in an attempt to increase DM have been evaluated by Rezende et al (2015) , and it was observed that the inoculant was unnecessary, and the inclusion of ground corn would increase the cost of the silage and, therefore, was impracticable. Previous work on feeding fresh cabbage leaves or cauliflower leaves to goats showed no difference in performance [in terms of apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, acid detergent fiber (ADF), efficiency of nutrient utilization, and dry matter intake (DMI)] compared to other green forages ( Wadhwa et al, 2006 ), but it has been illustrated that dietary inclusion of fresh cabbage (up to 200 g/kg diet in concentrate basal feed) to lambs reduced their growth rate (232 vs. 271 g/d) probably due to the presence of S-methylcysteine sulfoxide and glucosinolates, which depress feed consumption ( Nkosi et al, 2016 ). Moreover, lambs fed on Brassica fodder crops, such as broccoli, may develop goiter (broccoli contain goitrogenic compounds, which interfere with the availability of iodine) and this can reduce the lamb performance ( Halkier and Gershenzon, 2006 ).…”

Phytochemical Benefits of Agroresidues as Alternative Nutritive Dietary Resource for Pig and Poultry Farming

“…e rumen microbes of ruminants can convert the fibres into useful nutrients. Studies have shown that inclusions of some of the residues/wastes (apple, banana, cabbage, chicory, citrus, grape, mango, peas, pineapple, and pumpkin) in poultry and livestock rations have significantly improved the animals' general well-being and reproductive traits [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…Cabbage leaves are a good source of nutrients in ruminants and are known for significantly improving the growth parameters of the ruminants. e antioxidant activities of cabbage included in livestock rations aid in protecting the livestock against a variety of diseases, ensuring well sustained growth, reproduction, and development for ruminants [22]. Despite the growing popularity of cabbage as a nutritive livestock feed in temperate agricultural regions, high water content (8.6% dry matter) and antinutritive components discourage their use [53].…”