EFFECT OF INTERVAL OF FEEDING ROUGHAGE AND CONCENTRATE ON DIGESTIBILITY AND NUTRIENTS UTILIZATION IN SOKOTO RED BUCKLINGS

Abstract

Nine (9) Sokoto Red bucklings with average weight of 10.5 kg were allotted to three dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to evaluate the interval of feeding roughage and concentrate on digestibility and nutrient utilization at the Prof Lawal Abdul Saulawa Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State. The treatments are: Treatment 1: concentrate and roughage were offered at the same time; Treatment 2: roughage and concentrate fed at two hour intervals; Treatment 3: roughage and concentrate fed at three hour intervals. Total urine and faecal outputs were collected and 10% of each day’s collections were bulked and stored in a refrigerator at 5 oC. Representatives of the samples were taken to the laboratory for analysis. Apparent dry matter (DM) digestibility was higher (14.65%) in treatment1 than in treatment 3, and the digestibility of ether extracts in treatment1 was greater (21.37%) than treatment3. There was no significant (P >0.05) differences in nutrients digestibility among treatments. Nitrogen intake and retention were not significantly (P > 0.05) different among treatments means. It is concluded that feeding roughage and concentrate at different intervals has no effect on its digestibility and nutrients utilization by Sokoto Red bucklings.