Comparative nutrient utilization in sheep and goats on grainless complete diet

摘要

An experiment was conducted on sheep and goats to observe the effect of feeding cenchrus and ardu leaves based grainless complete diet on nutrients intake and their utilization. The ingredients of diet were cenchrus straw (38.6%), dried ardu leaves (37%), wheat bran (14%), mustard cake (7.4%). common salt (1%) and mineral mixture (2%). Four each of adult Malpura rams and Kutchi bucks selected from grazing flock were offered complete diet at maintenance level of feeding. The feeding trial was continued for a period of four weeks and towards the end, a metabolic trial for five days was conducted. The DMI (g/kg BW) was higher in sheep (21.48) than in goats (11.77). The goats, being adopted to browsing had low intake, when maintained under stall feeding. The digestibilities of DM (P<0.01), NDF (P<0.01), ADF (P<0.01) and GE (P<0.05) in goats were higher than those of sheep. However, CP and hemicellulose digestibilities followed a reverse trend. Although cenchrus and ardu leaves based grainless complete diet had desired level of nutrients to sustain the animals, yet the goats did not relish the diet as much, as did sheep.