Nutrient Intake, Digestibility and Growth Performance of Local Sheep in Western Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Twenty-five yearling intact male sheep with an average live weight of 19±1.7kg (mean ± Standard deviation) were used in the experiment. The  study was to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of sesame seed cake supplementation on feed intake, live weight gain and carcass parameters of sheep fed wheat bran and teff straw, as well as to evaluate the appropriate economic levels to get optimum profit in feedlot growing rams. The experimental design was a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with five treatments and five replications. The treatment diets, namely, 0, 150, 200, 250 and 300g Dry matter (DM)/head/day sesame seed cake were assigned randomly to the sheep with a basal diet. There was significantly higher (P<0.05) total Dry matter intake (DMI) in the sesame supplemented group than the control treatment. Similarly, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) among all treatments in total Crude protein intake (CPI) due to the increased level of supplementation. Digestibility of Crude protein (CP), Dry matter (DM) and Organic matter (OM) were also significantly higher (P<0.05) for sheep supplemented with the different level of SSC (sesame seed cake) than the control treatment. Though daily live weight gain was significantly higher (P<0.05) for sesame supplemented treatment as compared to control, a positive average daily body weight gain was observed in all treatment groups. The feed conversion efficiency was significantly (P<0.05) higher for the sesame supplement as compared to control. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the final body weight between the sesame supplemented group and the control. The mean values of slaughter weight, empty body weight and rib-eye area were significantly (P<0.05) higher for supplemented treatments than the control. The highest hot carcass weight was recorded with the highest level (300g SSC) supplemented sheep. Considering the economic return (Marginal rate of return), the highest level sesame seed cake supplemented sheep could be recommended as the optimum level for feedlot growing.  Generally the present study indicated that supplementation of sheep with different levels of SSC had an effect on feed intake, digestibility, and carcass parameters, and the effects were relatively more pronounced on sheep supplemented with the highest level of sesame seed cake. The partial budget analysis also indicated that the highest level of sesame seed cake supplemented sheep had returned a higher profit margin than the other levels of supplementation. Therefore, supplementation with 300g Dry matter (DM)/head/day sesame seed cake is biologically more efficient and economically more profitable and thus could be recommended.

Keywords: Body weight gain, digestibility, carcass parameters and growing lambs

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-1-06