Title: Performance of Sheep Fed Different Roughage Based Complete Feed Blocks
Abstract:A trail was conducted on 15 male Corriedale lambs divided into three equal groups to aases the effect of feeding different roughage based complete feed blocks on growth performance and nutrient utiliz...A trail was conducted on 15 male Corriedale lambs divided into three equal groups to aases the effect of feeding different roughage based complete feed blocks on growth performance and nutrient utilization. The complete feeds based on different roughage sources viz. paddy straw (PSB), maize stover (MSB) and oat straw (OSB) along with tree leaves with roughage: concentrate ratio of 60:40 were prepared and compressed into blocks in a horizontal feed block making machine at 3000 psi. Dry matter intake (DMI) was similar among the groups. The average daily gain in lambs was 137.67, 150.67 and 144.89 gin three groups, respectively. The DMD was significantly (P<0.05) lower in PSB compared to other groups, while source of roughage did not make any significant effect on the digestibility of nutrients. Significantly (P<0.05) lower calcium balance was recorded in PSB fed animals in comparison to other groups, while balances of nitrogen and phosphorus were comparable among the groups. The cost of production was low in MSB group and high in PSB group. It was concluded that maize stover is superior roughage source for sheep, compared to oat and paddy straw.Read More
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 4
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