The maize replacement value of cassava flour in rations for growing ewe lambs

Abstract

Thirty-six ewe lambs were allotted on the basis of weight to 4 dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design experiment to investigate the maize replacement value of cassava flour for 120 days in a tropical environment. The major issues investigated in the trial were growth-promoting ability of the diets, voluntary feed intake, feed efficiency, blood volatile fatty acid and serum total proteins and nutrient digestibility coefficients. Growth of ewe lambs improved ( P < 0.05) with subsequent increase in the amount of cassava flour in the diets. Serum total proteins and blood volatile fatty acids indicate that cassava flour is equivalent to maize as an alternative carbohydrate source in the nutrition of sheep. With the exception of crude-protein digestibility, which was slightly high in the 0% cassava flour diet, digestion coefficients of other nutrients were in favour of the cassava flour-based diets. Overall results indicate that cassava flour can partially or totally substitute for maize in the concentrate supplements of growing ewe lambs without adverse effect on growth, voluntary feed intake, changes in blood constituents and digestibility of nutrients.