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Nutrient Intake and Digestibility of West African Dwarf Rams Fed Selected Browse Plants and Megathyrsus maximus Hay

Adebisi, I.A.*, Okunlola, O.O., Oladepo, O., Ajibike, A.B., Amusa, H.O., Alalade, J.A. and Olorunkosebi, Z.A.

Department of Animal Health and Production Technology, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria

Malaysian J. Anim. Sci. 2022 25(2): 26-34

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Browse legume plants generates a lot of underutilized leaves which if properly harnessed can be a cheaper source of nutrients for small ruminant animal production, during dry season feed shortages. In this study, the nutrient intake and digestibility of West African dwarf (WAD) growing rams fed selected browse fodders with Megathyrsus maximus hay basal diet for 70 days feeding trial. A total of sixteen (16) growing WAD rams between 6 - 9 months of age with an average body weight of 9.00 - 12.00kg were randomly allocated to four treatments with 4 rams each and two rams per replicate in a completely randomized design. The experimental diet was fed at 3% body weight of individual ram while G. arborea (GA), S. sesban (SS) and F. thonningii(FT) fodders were fed at varied proportions with Megathyrsus maximus (MM) hay. The compared treatment diets were: T1 (100%MM hay), T2 (70%MM hay: 30%GA), T3 (70%MM hay: 30%SS) and T4 (70% MM hay: 30% FT) and fed for each ram per day. There were significant (P<0.05) differences in all parameters determined on nutrient intake and digestibility across the dietary treatments. Ram-fed T4 diet recorded the highest values (256.19g/d) of DM intake, (55.97g/d) of CP intake, EE intake (7.44g/d), ash intake (30.75g/d) and (108.28g/d) of NFE intake while the lowest values of DM intake (184.29g/d), CP intake (19.60g/d), EE intake (3.11g/d), ash intake (16.70g/d) and NFE intake (75.07g/d) was observed in ram fed T1 diet. Ram maintained on T3 diet had the highest DM digestibility (73.68%), while the lowest value (67.25%) for DMD was recorded on ram fed T1 diet. Ram fed T1 diet recorded the least crude protein digestibility (78.01%) while the highest value (85.76%) was recorded in ram fed diet T3. The highest value for CF digestibility (68.45%) was recorded in ram fed T4 diet while the least value (64.87%) was recorded in ram fed T1 diet. It can be concluded that the combination of grass-based diet (Megathyrsus maximus) with selected browse fodders enhanced nutrient intake and digestibility in WAD growing rams fed 70% M. maximus hay + 30% S. sesban fodders combination.