Improving Potato Vine Utilization by Sheep Using Biological Treatment

Abstract

Twelve mature rams with an average body weight of 65.5±2.8kg were used at Regional Center for Food and Feed Station in four metabolism trials to study the effect of feeding a clover hay or potato vine hay or potato vine silage on nutritive values, rumen parameters, blood picture and economic efficiency. Determination of silage quality and anti - nutritional factors were also studied. Sheep were randomly distributed into 4 equalgroups and housed un seprated cages. The experimental diets were given according to NRC (1990).The feeding was 50% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and 50% of one the three tested ingredients, clover hay , potato vine hay and potato vine silages. Clover hay was fed in the control group, while the other three tested rations included potato hay or potato vine silage. The results showed that: Solanine values of potato vines hay (PVH) , potato vines silage (PVS) and urea treated potato vines silage (UPVS) were 20.15,8.30 and 7.81 mg / 100g DM ,D respectively. The ensiling process sharply decreased solanine content. The two silages were of excellent quality, and had a normal pH 3.95-4.10 with tendency of superiority of ureated one. The overall means of TVFA's ranged between 7.75-8.15ml eq/100ml R. L., being the higher was recorded for the unureated silage. Potato vines silage (PVS) recorded the least concentration of NH3 –N(1.72%). The digestibility of OM, NFE and CP of PVH was lower than that of UPVS group, while the highest significant (p<0.05) values of TDN (64%), CP(10.70%) and DE(2.98M cal/kg) were recorded with rations containing potato vine silages (PVS and UPVS) in comparison with feeding on clover hay. Also, rams given rations containing silages retained more nitrogen than other groups. Results explained that blood parameters for the group fed PVH were significantly (P<0.05) lower (RBC, total protein, albumin, globulin and cholesterol). However, hematocrit, AST, ALT, urea, creatinine and bilirubin values of PVH group were significantly (P<0.05) higher compared to PVS, UPVS and control groups. In conclusion, potato vine unureated silage could be used safely, successfully and economically as a good unconventional feed stuffs to raplace clover hay for ruminants, thus minimizing environmental pollution.