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Published:
May 26, 2008Keywords:
supplementation Stylosanthes hamata rice straw Djallonké ewes lambs.
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The copyright of a submitted article is only transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.
Main Article Content
Performance Characteristics of Lactating Djallonké Ewes Fed Rice Straw Basal Diets Supplemented With Stylosanthes Hamata
Abstract
A 7-week feed intake and growth performance study involving thirty lactating Djallonké ewes and their lambs was conducted. The ewes were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatment groups resulting in 10 replications. The ewes were individually housed and offered 1000 g rice straw basal diet daily; Stylosanthes hamata given as a supplement at one of the 3 rates, which formed the treatments; i.e. 180 g/d [T180], 240 g/d[T240] or 360 g/d [T360]. Feed intake of the ewes and liveweight changes of the ewes and their lambs were recorded. Intake of rice straw was similar amongst the ewes on the different
treatments (P>0.05). However, the ewes consumed more supplement as the amount offered increased resulting in a significant improvement in total feed intake as the supplement offered increased (P< 0.01). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the body weights of the ewes that could be attributable to treatment effects. The average daily gains (ADG) at day 49 for the lambs were, 47.5 [T180], 63.4 [T240] and 76 g [T360]. This result suggest that supplementation of ewes had a significant effect (P<0.01) on the ADG of lambs as the level of supplementation increased. The results further indicate that supplementation of a basal rice straw diet with 360 g per day of Stylosanthes
hamata enabled ewes to maintain their body weight in the dry season.
Keywords: supplementation, Stylosanthes hamata, rice straw, Djallonké ewes, lambs.
Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 57-64
