The use of seaweeds (Ruppia maritima and Chaetomorpha linum) for lamb fattening during drought periods. (Special Issue: Potential use of halophytes and other salt-tolerant plants in sheep and goat feeding.)

摘要

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the nutritive value of two seaweeds (Ruppia maritima and Chaetomorpha linum) and the possibility of including them in a concentrate for partial replacement of common ingredients. Each species was incorporated in a concentrate at 20% level with barley and soybean meal. These two concentrates were compared to a control composed of 80% barley, 17.5% soybean meal and 2.5% mineral and vitamin supplement (MVS). The same proportion of MVS was incorporated in the two other concentrates. Twenty-one 5-month-old weaned Barbarine lambs (21.1+or-2.7 kg body weight) were divided into three groups and housed in individual boxes then in metabolism cages. Each lambs group received one of the above concentrate ad libitum and 300 g/day of oat hay. The three concentrates had similar crude protein (CP) contents (18% DM) but different proportions of ash. Seaweed-containing concentrates are higher in ash than control concentrate (12% DM vs. 5% DM). Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and CP digestibility were similar (P