Affiliation:
1. Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare , Alice , South Africa
Abstract
Abstract
Acceptability of a diet is one factor that determines an animal’s growth performance. Some feed additives in the category of dietary clay, including fossil shell flour (FSF), have been identified to enhance performance of livestock. Therefore, the influence of varying inclusion levels of FSF supplementation on feed acceptability, body condition scores, and growth performance of Dohne Merino sheep was evaluated. Twenty-four Dohne Merino rams were completely randomised and individually housed in pens for 90 days. Four different supplementation levels of FSF (0, 20, 40, and 60g/kg) were considered treatments for the rams. The average daily feed intake, body condition score, average daily weight gain (g), and coefficient of preference were significantly higher in rams supplemented with 60 g FSF/kg than the other treatments (P < 0.05). The experimental diet colour was brown for 0 g FSF/kg, while in 20, 40, and 60 g FSF/kg, it ranged from light brown to slightly deep brown. The texture of diets with 0 g FSF/kg was moderately firm, while diets with 20, 40, and 60 g FSF/kg had a firm texture. The order of preference of diets supplemented with FSF in feed intake by Dohne Merino rams was: 60 g FSF/kg > 40 g FSF/kg > 20 g FSF/kg > 0 g FSF/kg. Therefore, FSF at a minimum inclusion level of 40 g FSF/kg can improve feed intake, body condition score, and feeding behaviour of Dohne Merino rams by increasing the acceptability of the diet.
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Reference43 articles.
1. Komwihangilo DM, Sendalo DSC, Lekule FP, Mtenga LA, Temu VK. Farmers' knowledge in the utilization of indigenous browse species for feeding goats in semi-arid central Tanzania. Livest Res Rural Dev. 2001;13(6):3–9.
2. Dumont B, Meuret M, Prud’hon M. Direct observation of biting for studying grazing behaviour of goats and llamas on garrigue rangelands. Small Rumin Res. 1995;16(1):27–35. 10.1016/0921-4488(94)00036-7.
3. Ilori HB, Salami SA, Majoka MA, Okunlola DO. Acceptability and nutrient digestibility of West African Dwarf goat fed different dietary inclusion of Baobab (Adansonia digitata). IOSR J Agric Vet Sci. 2013;6(3):22–6. 10.9790/2380-0632226).
4. Kronberg SL, Malechek JC. Relationships between nutrition and foraging behaviour of free-ranging sheep and goats. J Anim Sci. 1997;75(7):1756–63.
5. Homann S, Rooyen A, van Moyo T, Nengomasha Z. Goat production and marketing: Baseline information for Semi-arid Zimbabwe. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics; 2007. p. 1–71.
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献