EFFECTS OF REPLACING DIFFERENT PROPORTION OF CAFETERIA LEFTOVER FOR CONCENTRATE MIX ON PERFORMANCE OF ARSI – BALE SHEEP

Abstract

The study was conducted at Agarfa ATVET College with the Objectives to investigate the effect of cafeteria leftover (DCLO) replacement for concentrate mix (CM) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, feed conversion efficiency, daily body weight gain and carcass yield of Arsi – Bale sheep and economic benefit of replacement of cafeteria leftover for concentrate mix. The experiment consisted of 90 days of feeding trial and seven days of digestibility trial followed by evaluation of carcass parameters at the end of the digestion trial. Dietary treatments included ad libitum feeding of Barley straw supplemented with either 300g/day CM (Treatment 1; T1), 225g/day CM + 75g/day DCLO (Treatment 2; T2), 150g/day CM + 150g/day DCLO (Treatment 3; T3), 75g/day CM + 225g/day DCLO ( Treatment 4; T4) and 300g/day DCLO (Treatment 5; T5).Concentrate mix were prepared from 60% wheat bran and 40%Noug seed cake. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design containing five blocks with five treatments and five animals per treatments. Initial weight was used.as a blocking factor. The CP content of CM and its mixture with DCLO, and sole DCLO were 22.9%, 20.9%, 19%, 15.2% and 11.4% for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 diets, respectively. Total CP intake was higher (P<0.001) for sheep fed T1 than T2, T3, T4 and T5. The total DM intake (g/day) of sheep in T2 and T4 were higher (P<0.001) than T1, T3 and T5 and also sheep in T1 has greater (P<0.001) dry matter (DM) intake compared to T3 and T5. Apparent DM and OM digestibility were significantly higher (P<0.001) for sheep fed either sole CM or its mixture with DCLO as compared to those fed with only DCLO supplement. Only T2 has lower DM digestibility than T4. Sheep fed T3 and T4 supplemented diet recorded greater (P<0.001) FBW, BWC and ADG compared to the sheep fed T5 supplement diet. While T4 has statistically similar value of body weight parameter with T1 and T2 groups, T3 is superior to T1 and T2 in these body weight traits. Sheep supplemented with CM alone (T1) and its mixture with DCLO(T1-T4) had higher (P < 0.001) slaughter body weight, empty body weight and hot carcass weight as compared to the sheep fed DCLO alone (T5). In general, results of this study, suggested that replacement of concentrate mix with different proportion of cafeteria leftover resulted in higher response in live weight gains and carcass parameters in Arsi-Bale sheep fed basal diet of Barley straw. In addition, the economic response (net return) due to replacement concentrate mix with DCLO was highest for sheep in T3 and T4 compared to supplementation with T1, T2 and T5. Therefore, if capital and availability of DCLO are not constraints, T3 and T4 diet could be recommended as a profitable and economically feasible feeding strategy diet for small holder farmers and others for fattening sheep