Nutritional Performance of Growing Sheep Fed Silage of Salt Tolerant Plants Under South Sinai Conditions

Abstract

his experiment was conducted at Ras Sudr Research Station belonging to Desert Research Center to elucidate the effect of feeding salt tolerant plants (Atriplex nummularia, Fodder beet, Pearl millet) silage (STPS) on productive performance of male Barki sheep under arid and salinity conditions of Southern Sinai, Egypt. Sixteen male Barki sheep (31.42 ±1.79 kg and 4 months age) were randomly divided into two equal groups (8 each). The first group (control) was fed 40% berseem hay (BH) from total ration and served as control. The second group (STPS) was fed ad liptum salt tolerant plants silage (Atriplex nummularia 50%, Fodder beet 35% and Pearl millet 10%) and the final mixture was sprayed with 5% molasses. All experimental lambs were fed concentrate feed mixture (CFM) as 60% percentage for total rations according to nutrient requirements. Results revealed that wide variations in chemical composition of the experimental roughages. It can be seen that STPS have lower contents of Dry matter (DM), Organic matter (OM), Crude protein (CP), Natural detergent fiber (NDF), Acid detergent fiber (ADF), than BH. However, STPS was higher than BH in ash content. Voluntary feed intake showed not significant differences between the two experimental groups of total and CFM intake. However, STPS group had lower (P< 0.05) roughage intake than control group. Animals fed STPS had higher (P<0.05) crude protein digestibility than the control group. Moreover, there were not significant differences between the two experimental groups of DM, CF, NDF and ADF digestibility. Feeding STPS lowered (P<0.05) free drinking, fecal, urinary and total water execration than control group. Ruminal parameters declared that, there were no significant (P< 0.05) differences in pH values, ammonia nitrogen concentration and total volatile fatty acids concentrations. Commonly, all ruminal parameters in the present study were within normal range of sheep. Blood biochemistry parameters showed significant (P<0.05) increase only for total proteins in control group compared to STPS group. Vastly, all values of blood biochemistry were within the normal ranges. Results of blood picture parameters except for WBC's (significantly decreased for STPS group) were not affected (P< 0.05) by the experimental rations fed to lambs. Weights of fattened lambs are didn't appear any significant (P<0.05) differences between groups. On the other hand, the cheapest price of roughage for STPS group reflected positively on economical evaluation than that resulted by BH. It could be concluded that feeding salt tolerant plants silage without serious nutritional hazards, would be an avenue to overcome the problem of feedstuff shortage prevailed under arid and salinity conditions of Sinai, Egypt.

Productive Performance of Barki Ewes Fed Mixtures of Salt Tolerant Plants With Protected Fat or Yeast Under Desert Conditions

“…Generally, animals fed control ration (BH) showed insignificant higher drinking and total water intake (ml/h/d) than those fed the other two tested rations (MSTP+PF and MSTP+Y). Such result was in corroboration with previous findings by Abo Bakr et al (2020a). On the other hand, animals fed ration based on BH (control group) recorded insignificant higher water balance value (2257 ml/h/d) than rations contained MSTP and supplemented with different feed additives (PF or Y) by 25.7 and 20.2 %, respectively Higher values of water balance were recorded by the control group (BH) which might be resulted as a consequence of higher water turnover rate and/or digest flow (Araújo et al, 2010).…”

“…Investigating economic efficiency (Table 10) pointed out to insignificant higher total gain in BH group (the control), while the higher cost of PF supplement (0.9 LE) was due to protected fat supplement negatively reflected on average return income. This result is consistent with Abo Bakr et al (2020a) showed feeding sheep on salt tolerant plants.…”

“…As a general evidence, rations contained MHP recorded lower feed intake values (during first week) than the control group (BH). The lowest intake for (MSTP+Y and MSTP+PF groups) might be referred to their high ash and fiber contents (Attia-Ismail, 2015) or/and due to the lower crude protein percentage in salt tolerant plants, which might decrease roughage intake (Abo Bakr et al 2020a).…”

“…It was also noticeable that ewes fed MSTP+PF (group two) had significantly (P<0.05) higher RBC, Hb, MCH, MCHC and Ht values than the other two groups (9.33,10.89,11.70,41.50 and 26.20. The higher (P<0.05) estimated values in RBCs and Hb for ewes of (MHP+PF or MHP+Y) groups might be attributed to a haemoconcentration status, due to the lower total water intake (Table 4) which coincide with that of (Abo Bakr et al, 2020a). Generally, the total mean RBC counts range for different experimental animals ranged between 7.15 to 9.33; such result agreed with those reported by (Egbe-Nwiyi et al, 2000) (6.30 -8.29).…”

“…Cultivated halophytes (Atriplex species) and salt tolerant plants (Pearl millet) have the advantage of tolerating high salt levels under saline lands and have economic potentialities under harsh conditions, (El Shaer, 1999). Also, the vegetative yields of halophytes and other salt-tolerant plants species could have great potentialities, particularly as sources of livestock fodders (Anon., 2009) Several attempts have been used to utilize and enhance desert forage resource that enhanced their acceptability for sheep in such area (Abo Bakr et al, 2020a).…”