Feed selectivity studies in sheep and goats offered multipurpose trees (MPT)
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Date
1996
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Four experiments were conducted to evaluate voluntary intake, nutritive value and selectivity of three browse species (Albizia lebbek, Glyricidia sepium and Tamarindus indica) offered form of in fresh branches to confined sheep and goats. In experiment 1 voluntary intake of the browses offered as sole diet to the animals was studied. Experiment 2 examined voluntary intake of the browses offered with a basal ration of Chloris gayana hay Preference ranking of the browse species was carried out in experiment 3 . In experiment 4, DM degradability of botanical parts of browse species and basal ration (hay) were determined using fistulated sheep and goats. Twelve mature Black Head Persian (BHP) sheep aged between 21 and 90 months with initial liveweights ranging from 24.4 to 33.2 kg and twelve Small East African goats aged between 31 to 86 months with initial liveweights of 24.8 to 30.2 kg were used. Goats) were Eight animals (4 sheep and 4 randomly allocated to each browse experiments 1 and 2. type in In experiment 3, six sheep and six goats selected from animals used in experiments 1 and 2 were used for preference study. In study degradability (experiment4) , three fistulated sheep and three fistulated goats fed a standard diet were used to determine DM degradability of individual browse parts and hay. In experiment 1DM I total of (Leaves
browses and bark) in sheep were 46.50 , 79.40 and 4 8.43 g/kgW0.75 day, for A. lebbek, G. sepium and T. indica respectively . The respective values for goats were 39.68 , 56.79 and 48.66 g/kgW' ■0.75 / day. In experiment 1more consumed sheep A.1ebbek and G.sepium (bark) and leaves) than
goats (P<0.05) in terms of DM I (g/kgW075 / day). There was no significant difference between sheep and goats for the DMI of T.indica (P>0.05). In experiment 2 when Chloris gayana hay was offered in addition to browse species, DMI of A. lebbek in sheep increased to whereas 66.06 that of others declined to 64.64 (G. sepium) and 35.70 (T. indica) g/kgW r0.75 / day. In goats DMI of the browses also declined to 38.89 (A. lebbek), 56.25 (G. sepium) and 34.61 (T. indica) g/kgW 0.75 / day. However, total DMI (browse and hay) of sheep and goats observed in this experiment
were higher(P than those of experiment 1 (sole browse). <0.05). In experiment 3 when all browse species and hay were offered together to individual animals goats consumed more T.indica and G.
sepium (P <0.05) than sheep. The DMI (g /kgW075 / day) of sheep for A.lebbek was higher than that of goats (P<0.05) . However, total DMI (browses and hay) for sheep and goats were not significant (P>0.05). Leaves of all browse species had significantly higher (P<0.05) contents of soluble (a=32.2-38.6 vs 18.4-30.7%) and potential (total) degradable matter (a+b = 67.5- 85.6 vs
62.9-79.6%) than barks and hay. Species comparisons showed significant difference concluded that with low A. quality in lebbek, these sepium and T. G. roughage It parameters. Could was indica fed improve animal productivity through increased DM intake if mixed browses are offered simultaneously with hay. Further studies on protein. There is need fordegradability and factors
limiting browse intake and their effects on actual (growth rates, milk yield etc) animal performance.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Feed selectivity studies, Sheep, Goats, Browse species