ABSTRACT
The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of groundnut haulm
and maize bran mixture supplementations on feed intake, digestibility, body
weight gain and carcass characteristics of local sheep fed hay basal diet at
Salga sheep farm in Assosa district, Western Ethiopia. The experiment was laid
out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments
consisting of six blocks with four animals per block based on their initial
body weight of 20.12 ± 0.05 kg (mean ± SD). Treatments comprised of feeding
natural pasture hay ad libitum T1 = 0; T2 = 100% maize bran (MB); T3 = 50% MB
and 50% Groundnut haulm (GNH), and T4 = 100% GNH. The amount of supplements
offered was 300 g/day/animal on DM basis. The daily feed intake, daily body
weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, dry matter and nutrient digestibility,
and carcass characteristics parameters were measured during the experimental
period. The study result indicates that the crude protein (CP) contents were
7.12% and 11.6%, and the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents were 67.9% and
57.5% for natural grass hay and groundnut haulm, respectively. The total DM
intake was higher (P < 0.001) in T4 (941 g/day) followed by T3 (937 g/day),
and T2 (934 g/day). However, the control group (T1) consumed relatively higher
basal dry matter (DM) (767 g/day) as compared to all other groups. Local Sheep
supplemented with T4 had significantly different (P < 0.001) FBW (33.2 vs
24.3 kg), FCE (0.17 vs 0.08) and ADG (156.2 vs 46.4 g/day) as compared to the
control group. The mean DM, OM, and ADF digestibility in the control group (T1)
was significantly lower than the supplemented groups (P < 0.001), but there
is no significant difference between supplemented treatments (T2, T3, T4). The
CP digestibility was the least in the control group (T1) than the supplemented
(76 vs 85.5, 88.8 and 89.3 for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively). Furthermore,
dressing percentage on slaughter weight and empty body weight basis and rib-eye
muscle area were high for T4. Empty body weight and hot carcass weight were
higher in T4 (27.5 and 15.2 kg) and T3 (25.5 and 14.1 kg) as compared to the control
group (19.8 and 10.3 kg), respectively. Similar to biological performance, the economic
analysis also showed that supplementation with T4 resulted in better returns
compared to others. Thus, it can be concluded that supplementation in general
improved animal performance. Among the supplements, T4 is biologically optimum
and economically feasible.
Share and Cite:
Tsafiyo, B. , Zewdie, B. , Yirga, H. and Teshome, D. (2022) Effect of Groundnut (
Arachis hypogaea L.) Haulm and Maize Bran Mixture Supplementation on Growth and Carcass Characteristics Performance of Local Sheep Fed Pasture Hay Basal Diet.
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
12, 36-57. doi:
10.4236/ojas.2022.121003.