Nutrients intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and growth performance of sheep fed different silages with or without concentrate

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Pennisetum americannum) silages with or without concentrate on nutrients intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and weight gain in Sipli sheep. Six experimental diets were formulated having 100% maize silage (MS), maize silage and concentrate as 50:50 (MSC), 100% sorghum silage (SS), sorghum silage and concentrate as 50:50 (SSC), 100% millet silage (MiS) and millet silage and concentrate as 50:50 (MiSC), respectively. For this purpose, 24 Sipli lambs were randomly allotted to six experimental diets in a completely randomized design for 90 days, four lambs per diet. The results indicated that among various silage diets, lambs fed MS diet consumed higher dry matter (DM) than those fed SS and MiS diets. Likewise, lambs offered MSC had higher dry matter intake than those fed SSC and MiSC diets. Crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) consumed by the lambs also followed the similar trend. Higher DM, CP and NDF digestibilities were also observed in lambs fed MS and MSC diets than those fed SS, SSC, MiS and MiSC diets. Overall digestibilities of DM, CP and NDF were higher in experimental diets containing silage with concentrate. Lambs fed MS diet had 2.79 g/day and 4.45 g/day higher N retention than those fed SS and MiS, respectively. Similarly, lambs fed MSC diet had 2.24 g/day and 5.12 g/day higher N retention than those fed SSC and MiSC diets, respectively. The results showed that lambs fed MSC gained more daily weight gain had better feed conversion ratio than those fed MS, SS, SSC, MiS and MiSC diets. The findings of the present study indicated that lambs fed MSC diet had higher nutrients intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and weight gain.

Effect of Seasonal Changes and Type of Roughage On: I- Growth Performance, Metabolic Activity and Carcass Characteristics of Crossbreed Lambs

“…These findings are in agreement with Petit and Castonguay (1994). Similar trend was observed by Khan et al (2011) who found that DMI ranged between 1.050 to 1.225 kg/d of different types of silage with or without concentrate, as well as feed conversion ratio ranged between 6.67 and 8.75 with significant differences among rations. Abdul-Aziz et al (1999) calculated feed conversion of 8.30 and 9.50 kg DMI/kg gain of growing Barky lambs fed either BH plus CFM or halophytic silage plus CFM, respectively.…”

“…Petit and Castonguay (1994) found that ADG and feed efficiency of cross-breed lambs were significantly greeter when fed grass silage plus CFM than those fed grass silage only (ad libitum). Similar results were reported by Khan et al (2011) when they used corn silage with or without concentrate. On contrary, Mustafa et al (2008) observed that cross-breed lambs fed CFM ad libitum plus 100 g grass hay gained significantly higher than those fed ray grass silage ad libitum plus 100-450 g CFM (382 vs. 109 g/d).…”

The effects of barley/triticale silage on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of lambs

“…Live weight gains were low in lambs fed only silage diets and inclusion of grain to the diet led to good responses in production parameters (1). The cereals are of certain interest because of extensive use for hay production.…”

Agronomic traits, ensilability and nutritive value of five pearl millet cultivars grown in a Brazilian semi-arid region

“…The similarity in concentrations of fibre fractions in silage generated from the current work as compared with other trials carried out around the world resulted in almost the same consumption of NDF and ADF as described by Khan et al . (2011), who reported intake of 586 g (±17·1) NDF/day in animals weighing 30 kg ± 4·45. The average NDF intake as a percentage of BW (2·8%) was higher than that shown by dos Santos et al .…”

“…The ratio of N intake to N absorbed in the present study was similar to that observed in Sipli lambs (0·51) fed pearl millet cultivars grown in semi-arid zones in Pakistan as evidenced by Khan et al . (2011). It should be mentioned that the positive N balance and lack of body reserve mobilization observed in all the lambs fed on the Brazilian pearl millet cultivars suggests an adequate digestibility of dietary protein.…”