Merino sheep nitrogen balance with the addition of mahogany leaves (Swietenia mahagoni) as tannins source in feed

Abstract

This study aimed to compare nitrogen consumption, nitrogen excretion, digested nitrogen, and nitrogen balance in Merino sheep which were given different level of tannins in the feed rations, namely 0%, 1.5%, and 3%. Twelve male Merino sheep aged 15-24 months with the average body weight of 30-35 kg were used in this experiment. There were 14 days of the adaptation period, and 7 days of the collection period. The sheep were confined to individual cages, and a nylon nets were fitted bellow the cages to separate urine and feces. The samples of feed, refusal feed, feces, and urine were analyzed for dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) content, and then were used to measure nitrogen consumption, fecal nitrogen, digested nitrogen, urinary nitrogen, and nitrogen balance. The result showed a significant difference (P <0.05) on nitrogen consumption, nitrogen excretion, digested nitrogen, and nitrogen balance. There was a decrease value in the level of tannin addition 1.5%, but increased at the 3% level. It can be concluded that different level of additional tannins up to 3% in Merino sheep feed showed positive nitrogen balance value. Therefore, the protein requirement of Merino sheep could be achieved.