Effect of Supplementation with Graded Levels of Concentrate Mix on Feed Intake, Digestibility, Body Weight Change, Carcass Parameters and Economic benefit of Arsi-bale Sheep Fed with Basal Diet of Urea Treated Barley Straw

Abstract

The effects of supplementation with graded levels of concentrate mix on feed intake, live weight gain, feed digestibility, carcass parameters and economic benefits of Arsi-Bale sheep fed urea treated barley straw were evaluated in Tiyo Woreda, Arsi Zone. Twenty four yearling male Arsi- Bale sheep with a mean (± SD) initial live weight of 18.72±0.87 kg were purchased from Asella livestock open market and assigned to one of the four treatments, Treatment 1 (T1; Control) con stituted urea treated barley straw alone (UTBS), Treatment 2 (T2; UTBS +200g concentrate mixtures), Treatment 3 (T3; UTBS +300g concentrate mixtures) and Treatment 4 (T4; UTBS + 400g concentrate mixtures). Concentrate mix were prepared from barley bran (50%), linseed meal (17%) and malt barley by-product (33%). Basal feed (urea treated barley straw) dry matter intake was higher (p<0.001) for sheep in the control compared to supplemented group. Supplementation, in general, improved (p<0.05) total dry matter and nutrient intakes compared to the control. Among the supplemented group, sheep in T4 has the highest total feed intakes and feed nutrients digestibility. Animals fed on the control diet gained 8.12 g/d, while supplemented group gained weight in the range of 48.82 74.82 g/d. Supplementation (T2-T4) improved (p<0.001) slaughter body weight, empty body weight and hot carcass weight as compared to the control (T1), particularly in T3 and T4 better body weight gain, slaughter body weight, empty body weight and hot carcass weight were recorded. Thus, it could be concluded that supplementing with T3 and T4 should be better strategy to improve the performance of Arsi Bale sheep