Storage characteristics, digestibility and nitrogen balance in west african dwarf sheep fed preserved elephant grass, caged layer waste and cassava peel diets during dry season

Abstract

The storage characteristics, digestibility and nitrogen balance of three experimental diets consisting of elephant grass at 45, 40 and 35%, and caged layer waste at 25, 30 and 35 %, respectively with fixed quantity of cassava Deels and sawdust ash at 28 % und 2 %, respectively were assessed using West African Dwarf sheep. Result showed that there was a significant (P<0.05) reduction in the nutrient composition of the feed in terms of DM, CP, ash, NFE, Pand K while the contents of EE, NDF, ADF, ADL, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn were not influenced (P>0.015) by the length of storage. Apparent digestibility of DM, CP, ash and NDF was high but not significantly affected by the composition of the experimental diets. However, digestibilities of CF, ADF and ADL were significantly higher (P<0.05) in rams offered diets 1 and 2 than the rams fed diet 3. Nitrogen balance in the rams fed the experimental diets was high (69.04 to 74.90% of intake) but similar (P>0.05) among the treatments. It was concluded that the experimental diets have good potentials for dry season feeding of small ruminants.