Effect of different proportions of fig (ficus sur) fruits and oats (avena sativa) grain supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, nitrogen retention and live weight change of Hararghe highland sheep fed natural pasture hay based diets

Abstract

Energy and protein supplements are very scarce feed resources in Ethiopia. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of inclusion of graded levels of dried and ground Ficus sur fruits (FSF) in the ration on feed intake, digestibility, growth performance and nitrogen (N) balance of Hararghe highland lambs. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). A total of 30 yearling intact male lambs with similar body condition were grouped into six blocks based on their initial body weight and animals from each block were assigned to five treatment diets giving a replication of six animals per treatment. The dietary treatments used in the experiments were ad libitum natural pasture hay (control); 100% FSF and 0% oat grain (OG), which was represented as [100FSF]; 67%FSF:33%OG [67FSF]; 33%FSF:67%OG [33FSF]; 0%FSF:100% OG [0FSF]. Noug seed cake (NSC) was given to all animals to provide at least the maintenance requirement for protein at isonitrogenous level. The lambs fed the control diet achieved the least (p<0.0001) nutrient intake from the basal, concentrate and the total diet compared to those fed diets supplemented with FSF and OG. Lambs fed 100FSF consumed the highest (p<0.0001) amount of nutrients than the other treatment groups. The group fed 100FSF also achieved the highest apparent nutrient digestibility, average daily gain and N retention than the other groups. This implies that FSF is a better energy supplement than OG in the diets of growing lambs.