EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING RICE STRAW WITH PIGEON PEA FORAGE ON PERFORMANCE OF YANKASA SHEEP

EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING RICE STRAW WITH PIGEON PEA FORAGE ON PERFORMANCE OF YANKASA SHEEP

Abstract:

A study were conducted to evaluate the feeding value of rice straw supplemented with varying levels of pigeon pea forage as dry season feed for yearling Yankasa ewes. In trial I, twenty yearling ewes with body weight ranging between 14.98 and 15.06kg were randomly assigned to four treatments. Five ewes per treatment comprising a basal rice straw diet fed ad libitum (0.0% pigeon pea forage), and ad libitum rice straw supplemented with pigon pea forage at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of body weight. The proximate and mineral composition of the feed ingredients showed that rice straw had 10.81% CP, 5.11% lignin and 4.27% silica while pigeon pea forage had 15.75% CP, 3.63% lignin and 0.5mg/kg tannin. In terms of mineral contents analysed, pigeon pea forage was higher than rice straw only in calcium. The result of the feeding trial showed increased feed intake with increase in level of pigeon pea forage supplementation. Ewes on the unsupplemented and 0.5% body weight supplementation lost weight (-2.01kg and -1.6kg respectively) while those on 1.0 and 1.5% supplementation had minimal (1.25kg and 1.06kg respectively) weight gain. Their feed efficiencies were low (473.25 and 518.48 respectively). The digestibility and nitrogen balance trial showed significant differences (P<0.5) in the digestion of DM, OM, NDF and ADF across the treatments. Supplementing rice straw based diet with 1.0% of body weight pigeon pea forage resulted in better digestibility of all nutrients. Nitrogen retention across all treatments was high and ranged between 86.19 and 90.06 percent. Rumen and blood metabolite trial showed increase in the levels of plasma urea nitrogen, rumen ammonia and volatile fatty acids as a result of pigeon pea supplementation. The levels of these rumen metabolites were highest at 1.0% of body weight supplementation with maximum levels recorded between 6. 12 hours post – feeding. Mean rumen pH measured (6.63 – 6.87) remained within the range of normal pH expected in the rumen. Levels of calcium phosphorus, magnesium, 21 sodium and iron in the rumen fluid were within the recommended levels for maintenance of sheep in the tropics. Plasma urea nitrogen, packed cell volume, haemoglobin and white blood count were highest (4.94mm/L, 32.00% and 73.00% respectively) at 1.0% of body weight pigeon pea forage supplementation. The dry matter (DM) degradation trial showed a linear increase in DM degradation as hours of incubation increased. Potential DM degradation (a+b) was highest (309.14) at 1.0% of body weight supplementation and so also was the rate constant c (0.02). The regression (R2) values for DM degradation against incubation time were high and ranged from 0.86, 0.95, 0.87 to 0.99 for 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% pigeon pea supplementation, respectively. Similarly high R2 values were obtained for potential DM degradation (a+b) and DM intake (0.83), apparent DM digestibility (0.90) and daily weight gain (0.77). The gas production trial showed increase in the level of gas produced (23.67 – 39.17ml/200mg DM) as pigeon pea forage supplementation increased. Regression of gas production against incubation time was high for all the treatments 0.97, 0.98, 0.99 and 0.95 for 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% pigeon pea supplementation, respectively. Regression of potential gas product (a+b) was moderate for DM intake (R2=0.61) and apparent DM digestibility (R2=0.53) but poor for daily weight gain (R2=0.43). There was highly positive correlation between gas production and DM degradation for all the treatments with r-values ranging from 0.62 to 0.88. It can be concluded from these studies that yearling ewes cannot maintain weight on rice straw alone. Supplementation with pigeon pea forage improved intake and digestibility. Supplementation at 1.0% body weight enables yearling ewes to maintain weight and also brought about an improvement in the levels of blood and rumen metabolites. Farmers in the northern part o the country who experience extreme feed scarcity during the dry season can therefore use this to maintain live weight of ewes. This will help in reducing the problem of weight fluctuations 22 experienced by these farmers and the subsequent waste of time and resources, which occur during compensatory growth. Gas production can be used to predict volatile fatty acid production and DM degradation in vivo but it was poor in predicting performance parameters such as feed intake, DM digestibility and weight gain. The potential DM degradation was better in predicting these performance parameters. It is recommended that both gas production in vitro and DM degradation in vivo should be used as measures of the nutritive value of fibrous feed materials

EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING RICE STRAW WITH PIGEON PEA FORAGE ON PERFORMANCE OF YANKASA SHEEP

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