Effect of feeding kikuyu grass with different levels of concentrate feed mixture on performance of growing lambs
Abstract: Fifteen cross bred lambs aged 8 weeks (16.4 kg body weight) were assigned randomly to three experimental groupe for 154 day feeding trial.
The experimental diets were manipulated to contain berseem hay (B.H) ad lib with 60% concentrate feed mixture(CFM), Kikuyu grass (K.G) ad a green forge with 60% or 40% CFM for T1 and T2 , respectively.
At the same time digestibility trials were carried out using nine mature rams (three rams per treatment) to determined the nutritive value of the same three diets. The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) , crude protein (CP) crud fiber (CF),ether extract (EE) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) were absolutely increased by feeding KG instead of BH. Also, The nutritive values as TDN, SE and DCP for ration containing KG with high level of CFM were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other two rations. The over all mean of daily weight gain for growing lambs were 174, 198 and 181 g/h/day for control control ration T1 and T2, respectively. Also, the feed conversion was the best for ration of T1 followed by T2 and control ration. At the end of feeding trials three lambs from each group were slaughtered to study carcass characteristics. The dressing percentage of fasting body weight for groups T1 and T2 were similar and both were higher than the corresponding values of group C. The eye muscle area (cm2) of lambs fed T1 ration was the best (19.66). Also, the tenderness of meat for lambs fed T1 ration was the best (3.98). The feed cost per Kg weight gain were 794.2, 727.58 and 665.30 (P.T) for lambs fed rations C. T1 and T2 respectively. The economical efficiency values were 1.64. 1.79 and 1.95 ration C, TI and T2. respectively. The different rations did not affect on blood parameters of lambs and were within the normal range.
The results of this study showed that feeding growing lambs on Kikuyu grass ad libtum with two levels of concentrate feed mixture (60 or 40 %) led to improving most digestibility coefficient, nutritive values, live body weight, daily body gain, feed conversion, dressing percentage and decreased feed cost per 1 kg growth.
Publication year 2004
Availability location معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى-شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى- الجيزة
Availability number
Organization Name
serial title Egyptian Journal of Applied Science
ISSN 1110-1571
Author(s) from ARC
External authors (outside ARC)
    جمال عبد الرحمن جامعة الزقازيق
    هشام منير صالح هيئة الطاقة الذرية)
    محمد عبد الحميد جامعة المنصورة
Agris Categories Animal feeding
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Blood composition. Digestibility. Economic analysis. Lambs. Nutritive value. Pennisetum clandestinum. Rams.
Publication Type Journal
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