Growth and reproductive performance of West African Dwarf sheep fed endophyte-infected maize stover supplemented with soybean meal

摘要

Anexperimentwasconductedtoinvestigatetheeffectoffeedingendophyte-infectedmaizestoverongrowthandreproductiveparametersofWestAfricanDwarf(WAD)sheep.Inasixweeksfeedingtrial,twenty-oneindividuallycagedgrowingWADsheepwererandomlyallottedtothreedietarytreatmentsinaRandomizedCompleteBlockDesign.Treatment1(NF=control)consistedofdietwithhealthymaizestoverwithoutFusariuminoculationwhiletreatments2and3consistedofdietswithslight(SF)andhigh(HF)Fusarium-infectedmaizestoverrespectively.Themeandailydrymatterintakewassignificantly(P0.05)higherinanimalsfedthecontroldietwhencomparedwithanimalsfedthetestdiets.ThemeandailyweightgainoftheanimalsfeddietHFwassignificantly(P0.05)lower.Thefeedconversionratiorevealedthatitwilltake3.76kgofthehighly-infectedstover(HF)toproducethesameunitweightofmeatthatwasproducedby2.12kgofhealthymaizestover(NF).ThemeanrelativekidneyweighttendedtodeclinewithanincreaseinthelevelofFusariuminfection.Thereproductiveparametersexaminedwerenotsignificantlydifferentamongthetreatments.nbsp;TheresultssuggestthatingestionofFusarium-infectedmaizestoverbysheepforashorttimewilldepressdrymatterintakeandweightgainwithoutadverseeffectontheorgantraitsandreproductivepotential.