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Effect of Feeding Different Mixtures of Short Milled Wheat and Sesame Seed Cake on Intake, Digestibility, and Live Bodyweight Changes for Abergelle Sheep in Tigray
Abstract
Background:
The use of agro-industrial by-products is an alternative to enhance the performance of animals.
Objective:
To improve feed intake, digestibility, and live bodyweight changes for Abergelle sheep fed different mixtures prepared using short milled wheat and sesame seed cake mixtures.
Methods:
The experiment was designed using yearling male rams and was divided into four blocks based on initial live weight and assigned to each dietary feed randomly. The diets were prepared at a level of 0, 120, 240, and 360 gram dry matter base/day for diet1, diet2, diet3, and diet4, respectively, with a proportion of 65:35 (short milled wheat: sesame seed cake) combinations. Digestibility trial was conducted for 7 consecutive days following the 90 days feeding stage.
Results:
Total dry matter and nutrient intake were significant (P<0.001) in the order of diet4> diet3> diet2 level of supplementation than the control group (diet1). Feed conversion efficiency and final bodyweight gain were significant (P<0.01) for the supplemented groups. Apparent digestibility of crude protein was observed highest in diet4 (81.32) and lowest in diet1 (61.55). Similarly, dry matter and organic matter digestibility were significantly higher in diet4 (74.47, 76.38) and lowest in diet1 (58.71, 60.42), respectively. In general, supplementation with different levels of sesame seed cake and short milled wheat improves the biological performance of Abergelle sheep.
Conclusion:
The growth performance of rams can be realized supplementing with diets prepared using short milled wheat and sesame seed cake mixtures.
