Effect of feeding shrubs hay as non- traditional fodder and source of protein on performance and milk production of sheep [electronic resource].

Includes references.

This study aimed to use of Leuceana leucocephala lam. hay (L.H) for ruminant it's effects on performance, milk production and composition as a partial replacer of concentrate feed mixture(CFM)in sheep ration. A total of 16 mature rams (40 - 45 kg live body weight) were used in digestion trial, arranged as (4x4) Latin square design and twenty eight growing Saidi male lambs were used in growth trial. Animals in each trial were randomly divided into four groups according to their body weight. On the other hand, twenty four ewes were used in milk yield trail. Four diets were used in all experiments. Ration 1 (R1, CFM +wheat straw), ration 2 (R2, CFM+ wheat straw +20% Leuceana hay), ration 3 (R3, CFM+ wheat straw +40% Leuceana hay) and ration 4 (R4, CFM+ wheat straw +60% Leuceana hay ) CFM and wheat straw were used in Rl, R2, R3 and R4 as 3 % and 1% of live body weight, respectively , while Leuceana hay percentages were used to cover a partial ofprotein from CFM Diets containing Leuceana hay had higher dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen free extract digestibility (NFED), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), acid detergent fiber digestibility (ADFD) and hemicelluloses digestibility coefficients (HMCD)compared to control diet, except R4 concerning neutral detergent fiber digestibility and hemicelLuloses digestibility.

Summary in Arabic.

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