Response of barki lambs to diets containing cassava and treated wheat straw with prosopis or acacia saligne (leaves and twigs)‎ under semi-arid area in Egypt

Abstract EN

This work carried out on growing Barki lambs to investigate the effect of using different combination from Cassava, Acacia Saligne and Prosopis (leaves & twigs) with treated wheat on growth performance, feeding values and feed utilization efficiency.

Thirty lambs aged about 3 months and weighed in average 11.93 ± 0.40 kg were divided randomly into three groups, 10 lambs each.

The supplementary values of two tree fodder with treated wheat straw were concluded that in complete rations as follow: (G1) Control CFM+ berseem (Trifolum alexandrinum) hay.

(G2) CFM+ Cassava: Acacia Saligne: treated wheat straw at) 37.5: 37.5: 25, respectively).

(G3) CFM+ Cacaav: Prosopis: treated wheat straw at (37.5: 37.5: 25, respectively).

The roughage to concentrate ratio was maintained at 60:40 so as to meet the nutrient requirement (NRC, 1985) for growing sheep.

The feeding trials lasted for 16 weeks.

The obtained data indicated that the methane production with first combination Cassava: Acacia Saligne: treated wheat straw 37.5: 37.5: 25 less than second combination Cassava: Prosopis: treated wheat straw 37.5: 37.5: 25 (8 vs.10ml/200 mg DM, respectively).

Whereas, first combination was contained more condensed tannins (CT) compared with second combination (30 vs.

20 g/kg DM, respectively).

The results indicated that most tested blood parameters were not significantly affected by tested rations.

However, serum total protein (TP), albumin (A) and globulin (G) concentrations were tended to decrease with G2 and G3 compared with G1, but A/G ratio was increase with the combination of two fodder tree with wheat straw ammoniated (G2 and G3) without significant differences.

While, glucose, serum urea, creatinine and cholesterol were significantly higher (P>0.05) with (G1) berseem hay (60.10, 46.26, 1.95 and 72.08, respectively) in Barki lambs rations.

The highest values of final body weight (FBW) and total body gain (TBG) were recorded with G2 (34.44 and 22.20 kg, respectively) and the lowest values was detected with G3 (31.33 and 19.80kg, respectively).

Whereas, G1 recorded medium values (33.52 and 21.24 kg, respectively).

Thus, the daily body gain (DBG) was significantly increased (P<0.05) in Barki lambs fed G2 than the other groups G1 and G3.

Feed conversion calculated as dry matter intake and CP intake/kg gain were better in G3 (4.01 and 0.618, respectively) compared with G2 (4.67 and 0.678, respectively) and G1 (4.84 and 0.707, respectively) but the differences were not significant.

The economic efficiency (EE) was better with G3 then G2 compared with G1.

These results indicated that under the semi-arid conditions, the combinations of Cassave and ammoniated wheat straw along with Prosopis Juliflora or Acacia Saligne could be included up to 60 % in the complete diet of growing Barki lambs