Feed preferences of sheep: palatability of the main browse/tree fodder species in the southeastern part of Mali

摘要

Duringthedryseason,browse/treeforagespeciesplayanessentialfunctionasruminants#8217;feed.Mostofthebrowse/treeforageskeeptheirgreenleavesduringalargepartofthedryseason.However,somestudieshaveshownthatthebrowse/treeforagescontainsomeantinutritionalfactorsthataffecttheirpalatability,intakeanddigestibilityandthereforeperformancesofanimalsingestinglargeproportions.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoevaluateandclassifythelocalebrowse/treespeciesasrelatedtopreferencesofsheep.Fourvillages,Wolodo,Dogoni,DangakoroandSokounafromthecommuneofZanCoulibalywereusedasexperimentalsites.Theanimalmaterialincludedtwenty12-18montholddwarfDjallonkésheep,noncastrated,fedwith500g/dayofgreenleavesofthefiveplantspecies:Pterocarpuserinaceus,Ficusgnaphalocarpa,Pterocarpuslucens,KhayasenegalensisandTerminaliamacroptera.nbsp;Averagefeedintakewas643g/day/animalandvariedamongthebrowse/treespecies.Ficusgnaphalocarpawasthemostingestedandthemostpalatablespecies,followedbyPterocarpuserinaceusthenPterocarpuslucens.Thethreespecies:Ficusgnaphalocarpa,PterocarpuserinaceusandPterocarpuslucenswererecognizedasthepreferredonesbythesheepand,therefore,arerecommendedforuseascomponentofthesheepfatteningrationsorasfeedsupplementsduringthedryseason.