Effects of substituting concentrate mix with water hyacinth (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eichhornia crassipes</Emphasis>) leaves on feed intake,digestibility and growth performance of Washera sheep fed rice straw-based diet |
| |
| Authors: | Shigdaf Mekuriaw Firew Tegegne Atsushi Tsunekawa Toshiyoshi Ichinohe |
| |
| Institution: | 1.Arid Land Research Center,Tottori University,Tottori,Japan;2.Andasa Livestock Research Center,Bahir Dar,Ethiopia;3.Department of Animal Production and Technology,Bahir Dar University,Bahir Dar,Ethiopia;4.Faculty of Life and Environmental Science,Shimane University,Matsue,Japan |
| |
| Abstract: | The objective of this experiment was to determine effects of substituting concentrate mixture (CM) with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaves (WHL) at different inclusion levels of feed and nutrient intake, digestibility, and growth performance of Washera sheep. Twenty yearlings intact male sheep with initial body weight of 24.1?±?1.68 kg (mean?±?SD) were used in both 90 days of feeding and 7 days of digestibility trials. The experimental animals were arranged into four blocks of five animals based on their initial body weight. The dietary treatments used in the experiment were 100% concentrate mix (0WHL-T1), 50% WHL and 50% CM (50WHL–T2), 75% WHL and 25% concentrate mix (75WHL-T3), and 100% WHL (100WHL-T4). Rice straw was given ad libitum. The crude protein (CP) content of water hyacinth leaf is 14.4%. Dry matter digestibility was greater (p?<?0.001) for 0WHL and 50WHL followed by 75WHL. The average daily weight gain was higher for 100% concentrate mix followed by 50 and 75% water hyacinth leave supplemented sheep. Therefore, wilted water hyacinth leave can safely substitute concentrate mix up to 75% and result in the optimum growth of Washera sheep from the feeding regime employed in this study. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
