Effect of concentrate supplementation on live weight change and carcass characteristics of Hararghe Highland sheep fed a basal diet of urea-treated maize stover

摘要

TheeffectsoffeedingdifferentlevelsofsupplementtosheepfedureatreatedmaizestoveronbodyweightchangesandcarcassparameterswereevaluatedatHaramayaUniversity,Ethiopia.Theexperimentconsistedoffourtreatments;andconductedinarandomizedcompleteblockdesignusingtwentymaleHarargheHighlandsheep.Theexperimentaldietswereureatreatedmaizestover(UTMS)basaldietandgradedlevelsofconcentratemixsupplementation(0/control,150/low,250/mediumand350g/high).Themixwaspreparedfrombrewersdriedgrain,peanutcakeandwheatbranataratioof1:1:3,respectively.nbsp;Ureatreatmentincreasedcrudeproteincontentofmaizestoverby33%.HighlevelofconcentratesupplementationresultedinlowerbasalfeedintakeandhighertotalDMintakeperkgW0.75ofsheepthanthenon-supplemented.Higherweightsoftotaledibleoffalcomponent,emptybodyweightanddressingpercentagewereobservedasaresultofhighlevelofsupplementationthanthecontroltreatment.Supplementationresultedinhigheraveragedailygainandribeyearea.Themeanslaughterweightandhotcarcassweightwerehigherforsheepinmediumandhighlevelofsupplementationthanthecontrolgroups.Thecontroltreatmentresultedinanegativereturn(-47.3ETB/sheep)whilehighlevelofsupplementationresultedinthebestreturn(45.7ETB/sheep).Basedontheresultofthepresentexperiment,itisconcludedthatsupplementationofHarargheHighlandsheepfedUTMSbasaldietwith350gconcentratemixresultedinbetterbiologicandeconomicperformance.