The Impact of Substituting Corn Silage with Cactus Cladodes Silage on Growth Performance and Digestibility in Sheep Rations

Abstract

Evaluation of co-ensiling Opuntia ficus indica with corn stover on the performance of twenty-seven Barki male lambs was investigated. The three experimental diets were R1 (control): 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) +10% rice straw + 30% corn silage; R2: 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) +10% rice straw + 15% corn silage (CS) + 15% cactus cladodes silage (CCS); and R3: 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) +10% rice straw + 30% CCS, which were all iso-nitrogenous (13% CP) and iso-energetic (2.9 Mcal of ME kg-1 DM). Lambs fed R2 had a better (P ≤ 0.05) final weight and daily weight gain than lambs fed R3. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the total protein, globulin, or liver enzyme levels. The OM, CP, CF, NFE, and ADF digestibility of were the same for all the tested diets. Group R3 had the lowest (P ≤ 0.05) digestion coefficient value of NDF (59.65%). Group R2 had the highest (P ≤ 0.05) calculated microbial protein values (18.31%). Total digestible nutrients (TDN) (55.81%) and digestible crude protein (DCP) (8.04%) in group R3 were significantly less than those in each of the other two groups. Thus, it may be stated that the silage of the cactus cladodes could be employed as a partial substitute for corn silage in livestock ration in arid, limited-resources farming situations to enhance growth performance and digestibility.