Livestock Feed Resources Research Articles

Significance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) as a feed resource towards small-ruminant animal production in Southern Africa: a review.

Sesamum indicum (sesame) is a small seed legume, which is of nutritional and medicinal value to livestock. Sesame is a legume with positive attributes that include drought tolerance (owing to its extensive rooting system), low input demand for growth, and reduction of soil nematodes (in crop rotation systems). Attention in research has been shifted towards usage of sesame as human food to exploitation as livestock feed because of its high levels in crude protein (CP), minerals, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, it is underutilized as a livestock feed resource in Southern Africa. In recent years, there has been increasing interest to cultivate the crop in Southern African countries through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) initiatives. The focus of such initiatives has been mainly production without value addition of the seed. At present in Southern Africa, widespread adoption of feeding strategies based on sesame has been restricted mainly due to lack of knowledge on production, marketing and value addition, availability of the seed, and technology adoption. Technology adoption is often limited specifically when oil extraction is considered, where by-products such as the meal are useful in animal production. This paper reviews the potential use of sesame to improve growth rates, feed intake, carcass qualities, meat quality, milk quality, milk yield, and blood metabolite levels of small ruminants. Production potential, economic feasibility, and strategies of using sesame in small-ruminant feeding programs are also outlined.

Chemical composition of major livestock feed resources in the medium and low agroecological zones in the mixed farming system of Haru District, Ethiopia

The poor nutritional quality of feed resources is one of the major constraints to optimal livestock productivity in Ethiopia. In the current study area, there is lack of information on the chemical composition of major feed resources to quantify their nutritional quality for interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical composition of livestock feed resources (natural pasture, crop residues, local liquor byproduct (atella) and indigenous fodder tree and shrub species) in the medium and low agroecological zones (AEZs) in the mixed farming system of Haru District, Ethiopia. The feed samples were analysed in dry matter basis for ash dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fiber (ADF), neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) and ether extractor (EE)). The results revealed that nutrient content of feeds showed variation between the two AEZs. The overall mean DM, Ash, NDF, ADF, EE, and CP content of natural grass species ranged from 91.40 ± 0.84–92.26 ± 0.55 %, 6.88 ± 0.11–12.56 ± 1.04 %, 64.67 ± 1.51–70.14 ± 1.98 %, 47.47 ± 1.11–50.51 ± 1.30 %, 1.31 ± 0.11–1.58 ± 0.11 %, and 9.15 ± 0.31–12.07 ± 0.44 %, respectively, and the corresponding values for crop residues varied from 90.19 ± 0.77–93.67 ± 0.45 %, 7.20 ± 0.30–12.18 ± 0.66 %, 72.59 ± 2.26–78.19 ± 0.77 %, 53.70 ± 1.41–8.70 ± 0.82 %, 1.21 ± 0.09–1.97 ± 0.28 %, and 2.70 ± 0.16–6.43 ± 0.37 %, respectively. The overall mean DM, Ash, NDF, ADF, EE and CP content of Areke Atella in both AEZs ranged from 89.73 ± 0.67–93.71 ± 0.34 %, 7.55 ± 0.20–8.29 ± 0.04 %, 36.05 ± 0.42–42.38 ± 2.27 %, 30.31 ± 0.76–36.62 ± 0.49 %, 1.45 ± 0.01–1.68 ± 0.16 %, and 13.54 ± 0.27–16.43 ± 0.71 %, respectively. The overall mean DM, Ash, NDF, ADF, EE, and CP content of the indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTS) varied between 90.49 ± 0.94–93.32 ± 0.58 %, 9.26 ± 0.46–11.82 ± 0.58 %, 45.29 ± .69–57.81 ± 2.80 %, 34.70 ± 0.48–36.90 ± 1.99 %, 2.34 ± 0.31–3.69 ± 0.19 %, and 8.12 ± .28–20.35 ± 0.42 %, respectively. In conclusion, IFTS had higher CP content followed by Areke atella, natural pasture grasses and crop residues. It is suggested that the supplementation of the studied IFTS and atella, particularly during the dry season when the quality of natural pasture decreases in CP content would be essential. Urea treatment of crop residues when affordable to improve its nutritional quality would be imperative to enhance livestock performance in the study area and for similar settings.

Biomass composition and dry matter yields of feed resource available at Lalo kile district of Kellem Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the available livestock feed resources in the Lalo kile district of Kellem Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia, in terms of species biomass composition and dry matter yield of dominant forage species. The district was stratified into two agro-ecologies: mid-altitude areas and low-altitude areas. The effects of grazing intensity on dry matter yields and biomass composition were analyzed using a randomized complete block design replicated three times having two blocks differed by two agro-ecologies (three mid-altitude kebeles and three low-altitude kebeles). The present study used seventy-two pasture samples and 20 × 20 m forage trees collected randomly from the two agro-ecologies of the study area. The General Linear Model of the SAS 19.0 version was used to compare the effects of the agro-ecology and species on dry matter yield and biomass composition. The result of the study indicated that the average dry matter yield for grasses, legumes, and other herbaceous forages was 1.156 t/ha, 0.242 t/ha, and 0.182 t/ha, with an overall 1.58 t/ha in the study district, respectively. About 73.13% of grasses, 15.32% of legumes, and 11.55% of other herbaceous were the species biomass composition in the study area. The midland agroecology had the average biomass fodder yields 7.98–19.78 kg/tree and 1.06–2.41 kg/shrub while lowland agroecology had 9.87–178.06 kg/tree and 1.34–3.87 kg/shrub. There was an estimate of 74.36–100 kg/ha fodder shrubs and 500–800 kg/ha fodder trees on cultivated and uncultivated land in the study area. The herbage yield of natural pasture is 1.733 t DMha−1 in the mid and 1.427 t DMha−1 in the low altitudes of the study area, with a mean herbage yield of 1.58 t DMha−1 during vegetation cover. The grazing capacity of the study area was 0.23 TLU/ha/year in the mid and 0.19 TLU/ha/year in the low altitudes of the study area, with a mean value of 0.21 TLU ha/year. The presence of limited grazing land in the study area led to overgrazing, which in turn resulted occurrence of land degradation associated with poor biomass yield, low quality and variable supply of feeds between the season. Therefore, this study suggests setting up land-use regulation policy to allocate separate land for feed production and commonly use for livestock feeding to improve livestock productivity and contribute to food security and poverty alleviation of small holder farmers in the study area.

Livestock feed resources in the West African Sahel.

Limited supply of quality feed is the most important factor limiting livestock productivity in many sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. Having a systematic inventory of available feed resources, identifying main challenges and potentials for improvement is the first step towards designing development strategies to improve feed quality and quantity. The objective of this study was to review the available feed resources and their quality in West African Sahel across different agro‐ecological zones and to identify the research gaps and strategies to improve feed resource availability. The West African Sahelian zone is home to 135 million people who herd 173 million head of ruminant livestock. The main feed resources for grazing ruminants are pastures and crop residues; commercially formulated feeds are increasingly being used in poultry and pig production, particularly in peri‐urban areas. Feed resources for livestock are diverse and vary markedly across agro‐ecological zones in the West African Sahel and across seasons in terms of type, quantity, and quality. Given that crop residues are among the most important feed resources, there is need to invest in promoting adoption of proven methods for improving their quality and preserving it. Given poorly developed feed markets in the Sahelian rural areas and cities, strengthening the feed value chain is critical for improving the feed resource base in West Africa. Additional critically important needs are to increase awareness about the importance of feed quality, to create quality‐based feed marketing systems, and to appreciate and enhance women's roles in feed production.

Assessment of Livestock Feed Resources and Coping Strategies with Dry Season Feed Scarcity in Mixed Crop–Livestock Farming Systems around the Gilgel Gibe Catchment, Southwest Ethiopia

In the current study area, livestock are an integral part of the mixed farming system, and play very important roles as sources of draught power, nutrition, cash income, employment and poverty alleviation. However, feed shortage, especially during the dry season, is the most important constraint to optimal productivity. This study aimed to investigate livestock feed resources and feeding practices, coping strategies with seasonal scarcity, and to identify major constraints to livestock production in a mixed farming system around the Gilgel Gibe catchment, southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from 342 households using a structured questionnaire. The results showed natural pasture, crop residues, stubble grazing, and roadside grasses were the main feed resources, in that order. None of the respondents practiced improved forage cultivation due to insufficient land and lack of knowledge on forage production and utilization. Free grazing was the most predominant feeding system. Almost all respondents experienced dry season feed scarcity. Conserving crop residues and hay, purchasing roughages, reducing herd size and renting grazing land were the major coping strategies to feed scarcity. The farmers’ perceived major constraints to livestock production were feed shortage, animal diseases, and low productivity of local breeds. Institutional, technical and technological interventions are suggested to alleviate the constraints to livestock production in mixed crop-livestock systems in the study area and outside with similar settings.

DETERMINANTS OF SORGHUM BIOMASS USE FOR LIVESTOCK FEED ACROSS SORGHUM GROWING AGROECOLOGICAL ZONES IN ETHIOPIA

<p><strong>Background.</strong> In mixed crop livestock farming systems in Ethiopia, sorghum stover and other crop residues are a strategic livestock feed resource. Farmer’s decisions and intensity of use of sorghum stover for feed than other uses are closely associated with biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics. <strong>Objective.</strong> This study explores determinants of sorghum biomass uses for livestock feed in three major sorghum growing agroecological zones of Ethiopia. <strong>Methodology.</strong> Tobit and double hurdle models were run and likelihood ratio test was performed to select most suitable estimation technique. <strong>Result.</strong> Allocation of sorghum stover for feed showed a significant association with sorghum growing agro-ecological zones, highest in the lowland (86.73%) and the lowest in highland sorghum growing agroecological area (61.75%). Econometric model result revealed that among other factors; availability of feed from grazing and other crop residues had a negative effect on decision to use and intensity of use of sorghum stover for feed. Household’s livestock ownership and family size had positive effects. <strong>Implication.</strong> Decision variables influenced household’s decision and intensity on use of sorghum stover for feed at three major sorghum growing zone differently. <strong>Conclusion.</strong> Knowledge generated through this study may help any research and development efforts to enhance productivity of sorghum biomass for livestock feed and livestock improvement strategies.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Agroecology; Crop residue; Econometric models; Feed resources; Sorghum stover.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Agroecology; Crop residue; Econometric models; Feed resources; Sorghum stover.</p>

A review of limitations to using cassava meal in poultry diets and the potential role of exogenous microbial enzymes.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), a crop grown in the tropics, is increasingly becoming a vital feed resource for human beings and livestock. Traditionally, cassava has been used primarily as a source of food for humans. However, it is becoming an increasingly important ingredient in livestock feed. The use of cassava leaves and roots in poultry diets is limited because of nutrient imbalances and toxins (hydrogen cyanide (HCN)) found in them. High HCN is reduced to innocuous levels by processing the ingredient using a simple sun drying method. Plant fibre content can be reduced and made available for use by poultry through the use of exogenous enzymes. More recent innovative interventions in biotechnology have brought about various exogenous enzymes that can help improve the digestibility of fibrous diets. These include, among others, carbohydrases, proteases and phytases. The extent to which the animals utilise nutrients is influenced by the type of enzyme and the physicochemical properties of the feed ingredient. This review aims to collate information on the current state of knowledge on the use of exogenous microbial enzymes in diets containing cassava and how the enzymes that target carbohydrates might be useful in making nutrient available for poultry.

REVIEW ON KNOWLEDGE GAP IN Brachiaria GRASS RESEARCH AND UTILIZATION: ETHIOPIAN PERSPECTIVE

Still food security has not been attained fully in many tropical African countries including Ethiopia. However, the issue of food security achievement has been able to realize due to various setbacks among which low productivity of crops and livestock take the lion share. Among the various constraints the parasitic weed Striga, and Stemborer pests are responsible for lower crop yields in the region. Regarding livestock feed, shortage in terms of quantity and quality are the major impediment to the livestock sector. To achieve food security, increasing crop yield and livestock production is vital in Ethiopia and other tropical countries. Crop yields can be enhanced through the control of weeds using biological systems to increase food crop yield apart from chemical inputs. In case of livestock, full production and reproduction potential of animals can be met through fulfilling nutritional requirements of livestock. The major livestock feed resources in Ethiopia are natural pasture and crop residues. Both feed resources; however, are poor in nutritional value and they are listed as low maintenance feed category. Therefore, it is vital to intensify integrated crop- livestock production systems for sustainable economy and environment. Introducing forage grasses in the crop production system has been practiced in the tropics as push pull technology. In Ethiopia, Brachiaria grass is an emerging forage for integrated agricultural production that has been getting considerable recognition as an option to overcome the pests in crop production in the tropics due to its high adaptive and yielding as well as climate smart forages. In the country, Brachiaria is recently introduced by different organization in different agro-ecology of the country mainly as push-pull integrated agricultural system and considering its fodder potential for the livestock feed. Therefore, this review paper aimed to looking for the available research knowledge in Ethiopia and somewhere else in the glob for better utilization of Brachiaria grass in the integrated agricultural system. All available information regarding the research and utilization of Brachiaria grass were reviewed in the published papers. The review reveal that Brachiaria has many advantages over other grass species in terms of adaptation to drought and low fertility soils, ability to sequester carbon; increase nitrogen use efficiency through biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and arrest greenhouse gas emissions. The knowledge has been established in quantifying the multiple contributions of Brachiaria grass inclusion as push pull technology in different parts of the world (South America, Kenya, Rwanda). Limited report showed that cut-and-carry system is the utilization practice of brachiaria grass grown the push pull integration. The potential of improved Brachiaria grass in Ethiopia to address the challenge of livestock feed scarcity and other environmental managements; however, remain unexploited/limited which calls researchers to work on. The review concluded that B. cultivars could have a significant contribution on both animal and cereal production in the tropics but limited research and utilization in Ethiopia.

Smart Bran Dispenser for Animal Husbandry Purpose

The creation of technology in this century changes people’s life. Technology plays an important role that benefits young people and has increased agriculture production’s efficiency and profitability. Innovative technology mainly involved in animal feeding automation is currently one of Smart Bran Dispensers’ new inventions. This project approaches an innovative animal husbandry management system to improve the agricultural system’s efficiency, particularly livestock nutrition and feed resources. The benefit of this project is to facilitate animal feeding for breeders, which can be remotely controlled and detected by a tracking module that transmits a signal to the user and informs them of the status of the bran dispenser through the Blynk server. NodeMCU ESP8266 and Arduino UNO were implemented as the main controller.

Harnessing the In Vitro Nutritional Potential of Different Varieties of Sugarcane Tops Silages Enriched with Molasses and Bacterial Inoculants as an Unconventional Feed Resource

The present study was conducted to explore the nutritional potential of different varieties of sugarcane top silages enriched with molasses or bacterial inoculants as unconventional feed resource. Tops of four sugarcane varieties, i.e., Co 118, CoJ 88, CoPb 93 and CoPb 92, recommended for cultivation in India were collected and evaluated for their chemical composition. Results revealed that tops of sugarcane variety CoPb 93 were lower in crude protein and ether extract content, whereas variety CoPb 92 had lower acid detergent lignin as compared to all tested varieties. Similarly, neutral detergent fiber was lower in variety Co 118 and CoPb 92 as compared to varieties CoJ 88 and CoPb 93. Collected sugarcane tops were ensiled with bacterial inoculants (1 g/ton) and molasses (95:5) for 45 days in low-density polypropylene tubes. The all sugarcane tops varieties with molasses and bacterial inoculants produced good quality silage with pH 4.0% DM and ammonical-N < 10% of total nitrogen. Although molasses-based sugarcane top silages had overall good ensiling potential as compared to bacterial treated silages, overall from the present study, it can be concluded that the molasses-based silages with sugarcane tops variety CoPb 92 followed by variety CoPb 93 have higher potential as unconventional feed resource for livestock.

Morphological, productive, and nutritional characterization of Desmanthus spp. accessions under different cutting intensities

Rangeland legume species from the Brazilian Caatinga play a key role as feed resources for livestock and are an alternative in the agroforestry systems. This study evaluated the effect of two cutting intensities (40 and 80 cm) on morphological, productive, and qualitative characteristics of four (5G, 6G, 7G, and AS) accessions of Desmanthus spp. The experiment was established considering a completely randomized design with subdivided plots and six replicates at the Sugarcane Experimental Station, Carpina/UFRPE. Every 70 days, the variables fruiting, pod production, number of leaves, number of branches, leaves per branch, leaves per plant, and branch diameter were evaluated. The leaf/branch ratio, dry matter yield (DMY), chemical composition, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were determined. There was no interaction (p ≥ 0.05) between the cutting intensities and evalutaed accessions for the morphological and nutritional variables. The effect of accessions on stem diameter, number of leaves per branch and per plant, leaf/branch ratio, and IVDMD was significant. The AS accession had the greatest values of plant DMY and branch DMY (1.85 and 1.27 ton DM ha−1), respectively, under the harvest intensity of 40 cm. The 7G accession, however, had greatest DMY when harvested at 80 cm, producing 1.52 and 1.00 ton DM ha−1 for total DMY and branch DMY, respectively. The Desmanthus spp. accessions evaluated in this study varied in their morphological, productive, and nutritional characteristics.

Dietary purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) promotes the growth performance of broilers by modulation of gut microbiota

Purslane is a widespread wild vegetable with both medicinal and edible properties. It is highly appreciated for its high nutritional value and is also considered as a high-quality feed resource for livestock and poultry. In this study, Sanhuang broilers were used to investigate the effect of feeding purslane diets on the growth performance in broilers and their gut microbiota. A total of 48 birds with good growth and uniform weight were selected and randomly allocated to four treatment groups A (control), B, C and D. Dietary treatments were fed with basal diet without purslane and diets containing 1%, 2% and 3% purslane. The 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform to analyze the composition and diversity of gut microbiota in the four sets of samples. The results showed that dietary inclusion of 2% and 3% purslane could significantly improve the growth performance and reduce the feed conversion ratio. Microbial diversity analysis indicated that the composition of gut microbiota of Sanhuang broilers mainly included Gallibacterium, Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella, etc. As the content of purslane was increased, the abundance of Lactobacillus increased significantly, and Escherichia-Shigella decreased. LEfSe analysis revealed that Bacteroides_caecigallinarum, Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillales and Firmicutes had significant differences compared with the control group. PICRUSt analysis revealed bacteria mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism pathway due to the additon of purslane in the diet. These results suggest that the addition of purslane to feed could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus in intestine, modulate the environment of gut microbiota and promote the metabolism of carbohydrates to improve its growth performance. This study indicates that the effect of purslane on the growth-promoting performance of broilers might depend on its modulation on gut microbiota, so as to provide a certain scientific basis for the application of purslane in the feed industry.

Yield and Nutritional Quality of Sweet Lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) Grown in Midaltitudes of Lemo District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted to determine the yield and nutritional quality of sweet lupine (Lupinus angustifolius.) grown in midaltitude of Lemo District, Southern Ethiopia. The yield and nutritive value of sweet lupine in terms of quantity and quality was conducted using a factorial experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments for the study were two sweet lupine varieties (Vitabore and Sanabore), two locations (Upper Gana and Jewe Kebeles, and six levels of planting spacing: 30 cm × 7 cm (S1), 40 cm × 7 cm (S2), 30 cm × 15 cm (S3), 40 cm × 15 cm (S4), 30 cm × 20 cm (S5), and 40 cm × 20 cm (S6)). The yield, chemical composition, and digestibility among parameters were studied. Sweet lupine varieties in Upper Gana Kebele gave the highest green forage yield (39.58 t/ha) and forage dry matter (4.84 t/ha) at 30 cm × 7 cm planting spacing, respectively. Seed yield (SYD) (t/ha) was highly affected ( P &lt; 0.01 ) by location. The maximum seed (2.98 t/ha) yield was observed in Upper Gana Kebele with the minimum (2.15 t/ha) at Jewe Kebele. The forage in Jewe Kebele gave the highest organic matter (OM) (87.01%) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (37.50%) content at a stage of 100% flowering. Sweet lupine forage in Upper Gana Kebele gave the highest crude protein (CP) content (23.11%) while the highest forage CP content was recorded at a planting space of 40 cm × 20 cm (23.67%). Sweet lupine forage gave the maximum in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) (69.10%) at a spacing of 40 cm × 20 cm in Upper Gana. The highest CP (29.11%) content and IVOMD (80.49%) of seed were recorded in Upper Gana Kebele. The overall result of this study suggested that green forage yield and forage dry matter yield are affected by location, planting spacing, and stage of flowering, whereas the chemical composition of sweet lupine forage was affected by location and variety interaction (dry matter and acid detergent fiber), location and stage of flowering interaction (OM, ADF and total ash), location (CP, metabolizable energy (ME), and IVOMD), planting spacing (CP and IVOMD), and stage of flowering (CP and ME). On the other hand, sweet lupine seed yield, seed CP, and IVOMD were affected by location. The large differences in yield and nutritive values observed among sweet lupine varieties, growth environment, planting spacing, and their interactions entail consideration of these factors for appropriate utilization of sweet lupine as a feed resource for livestock.

Livestock rearers socio-economic status, feed resources, feeding and management practices in Gurez valley of Kashmir

The study was undertaken to assess the socio-economic status of animal rearers, available feed resources and feeding and management practices of livestock at different zones in Gurez valley of Kashmir. A baseline survey was conducted to obtain the information in three arbitrary zones, viz. lower, middle and upper Gurez. The study was carried out in three villages in each zone where seven farmer families per village were selected randomly for the study. A total of 63 households owning livestock were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and through direct observation. Majority of the farmers’ families was joint (94%), fell under middle age category (41%), had small land holdings (37%) and was predominantly illiterate (28%) but all categorised under Schedule Tribe. Animal husbandry (20%) was the major occupation after household (31%). Monthly income level was adequate. Among different livestock species reared, small ruminants (sheep and goat) were predominant (55%) although the productivity was low. Almost all the farm produce was consumed locally. Maize stover and forest grass hay were the main sources of dry roughages, while natural grazing was the main and important green forage source during summers. Concentrates were mainly home-made (87%) prepared without the use of oilcakes. The chemical composition of the available feed resources were within the normal ranges. The animals were left for grazing during summers with no concentrate supplementations (81%); however were offered lopped tree foliage (92%). During winters, livestock were completely stall fed primarily on crop residues with no or little concentrate mixture supplementation (86%) being offered only to lactating or pregnant animals. Majority of the farmers (94%) did not supplement the diet of animals with mineral mixture. Semi-migratory (89%) and stationary (11%) were the two types of animal production system being practiced. All the farmers (100%) had kacha close type of houses for their animals, mainly as part of human dwellings (94%). Animal stockings within the sheds were mostly mixed (89%) with little provision for proper ventilation (9%) and no (0%) regular bedding and drainage arrangements. Sanitary conditions of majority of the livestock farmers were poor with below average technical knowledge about livestock farming (67%). From results of this study, it could be concluded that to ensure sustainable livestock production in the surveyed area, technological, technical and institutional innovations would be vital to overcome the constraints of feed/fodder scarcity and lack of scientific knowledge.

Assessment of Available Livestock Feed Resources in South Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in four districts of South Gonder Zone of the Amhara National Regional State which represent highland and mid-altitude agro-ecology of the zone. In the study districts the existing livestock feed types, sources and the total DM obtained from each feed type has not been yet well addressed. So the objective of the study was to identify the major types and sources of available feed resources of livestock production. Two hundred ten rural households from both agro-ecologies were interviewed with semi-structured questionnaire. A single–visit-multiple-subject survey was carried out. The major types of feeds available are crop residues, natural pasture, hay, indigenous fodder trees and improved forage crops and pasture which vary in season. The annual average maintenance DM requirement per household was higher (p<0.05) in mid-altitude (10.47 TDM) than in the highland agro-ecology (8.92 TDM) districts. An average of 9.69 TDM of maintenance DM was produced per household from the major available feed resources, of which 62.08%, 12.24% and 12.19% was obtained from crop residues, conserved hay and grazing land, respectively. The average livestock population per household was 5.92 TLU and the average annual utilizable DM feed per household was 9.69 TDM. The study recommended that strategies like sustainable conservation of hay and crop residues during a surplus season, development of improved forages and proper storage and appropriate utilization of available feed resources are an option to mitigate feed shortage.

Evaluation of Sweet Sorghum Bagasse as an Alternative Feed Resource for Livestock in Semi Arid Regions

Production of good quality fodder is of a great importance for the economical livestock. The objective of this proposal is to evaluate the potential of sweet sorghum bagasse as an alternative feed resource for livestock. The research was conducted at Akcakale/Sanlıurfa from June to November in 2016 and 2017 according to randomized complete block design with four replications. Harvest was performed between milk and soft dough stages. After the leaves and panicle of the plant were stripped, sap-extracted plants (bagasse) were ensiled and silage quality attributes were also determined. There were statistically significant differences in sweet sorghum genotypes in terms of bagasse yield and all examined feed quality characteristics. Depending on two-year averages; bagasse yield, dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) ratio, acid detergent ligin (ADL), neutral and detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were ranged from 51.9-86.7 t ha-1, 12.1-21.7 t ha-1, 35.39-45.61 g kg DM, 40.58-78.88 g kg DM, 473.0-653.0 g kg DM, and 273.3-431.6 respectively.It is concluded that the silages of sweet sorghum bagasse which were grown the 2nd production conditions in semiarid region can be considered as roughage.

Growth performance of goats fed diets containing varying levels of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Abstract Owing to the scarcity of feed during the dry season in most tropical regions of Africa, attention has been shifted to the use of aquatic plants which were regarded as waste and take a lot of effort to eradicate. This study therefore aimed to explore the potential of water hyacinth as alternative feed source for ruminants. Twenty-four (24) West African Dwarf (WAD) goats with average body mass of 6.5 ± 0.22 kg were used in a 84-day feeding trial to determine the influence of whole Water Hyacinth (WH; Eichhornia crassipes) plant as alternative livestock feed resource. The goats were divided into four (4) groups of six (6) animals per group. Each group was randomly allotted to the four experimental diets containing 0 %, 5 %, 10 % and 15 % of WH, respectively, in a Completely Randomised Design. Results showed that supplemented E. crassipes plant influenced (p &lt; 0.05) the growth performance characteristics of West African dwarf (WAD) goats. Five (5 %) percent inclusion of WH gave the highest (p &lt; 0.05) weight gain, metabolic weight and dry matter intake whereas 10 % inclusion of WH gave similar (p &gt; 0.05) weight gain as the control. In addition, 5 % percent inclusion of WH reduced (p &lt; 0.05) the cost of production with high returns. On the other hand, with 10 % inclusion we observed the highest (p &lt; 0.05) packed cell volume, red blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration. The 15 % WH inclusion resulted in an elevated (p &lt; 0.05) serum albumin and cost per kilogram weight gain. It can be concluded that feeding WAD goats with WH up to 10 % in their diets had favourable effects on growth performance, health and possibly immune response as well as profitability.

Growth performance and digestibility of nutrients by weaner rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed diets containing varying levels of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) milling waste

Conventional feed resources for livestock are increasingly becoming more expensive, due to competition with man; hence nutritionists are searching for cheaper, locally-available alternatives. A total of forty-five (45) mixed sex weaner rabbits, aged 5 – 6 weeks, with average initial weights of between 694.42 and 761.10 g were used to investigate the effect of varying levels of cowpea milling waste (CMW) diets on their growth performance and nutrient digestibility. They were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments with nine rabbits per treatment. The control treatment (T1) contained 0 % CMW while treatments T2, T3, T4 and T5 had 10, 20, 30 and 40 % CMW dietary inclusion levels, respectively. Clean water and feed were offered ad libitum daily to the rabbits, and record of their feed intake and growth performance were taken for 12 weeks. At the end of the 11th week, a nutrient digestibility trial was carried out. Results show that there were no significant (P&gt;0.05) differences in final body weight, body weight gain, total feed intake and mortality among the dietary treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) for diets T4 (6.65) and T5 (6.66) containing 30 and 40 % CMW respectively, were as good as that of the control diet (6.11). Dry matter and crude protein digestibility showed no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference across the treatments. Digestibility of crude fibre (72.64, 80.16, 84.04 and 80.90 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), ether extract (95.98, 94.90, 96.04 and 94.38 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), nitrogen free extract (94.30, 95.18, 93.58 and 94.90 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), as well as total digestible nutrient (83.69, 76.11, 81.67 and 80.02 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively) of the test diets compared favourably with that of the control diet (72.94, 95.23, 96.04 and 80.47 % for CF, EE, NFE and TDN respectively). Hence, it can be concluded that CMW can be used safely as a protein source and included up to 40 % in weaner rabbit diets with no detrimental effect on their growth performance and nutrient digestibility.

Livestock Feed Resources and Feeding Practices in Bonke and Geresse Districts, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted at Bonke-Geresse District of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing the availability of feed resources in terms of quantity and quality and feeding practices of livestock. The district was stratified into three distinct agro-ecologies. A total of 138 farmers were randomly selected based on the probability of proportional sampling by means of a structured questionnaire. Direct field observation was also used in the collection of data. The major feed types used by farmers were identified and categorized into five classes: natural pasture grazing, green feeds, hay, concentrate (commercial mix and agro-industrial by-products) and non-conventional feed resources. The total Data were analyzed using statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chemical analysis on crop residues indicated that they have low crude protein (2.66 to 6.7) and are composed of high lignin content ranging from 8.42 to 16.83. The major constraints related to livestock feed were shortage of feed, shortage of grazing land, poor market access, lack of sample awareness on forage cultivation and poor feeding system. Overall feed balance in terms of DM yield per year to a total TLU value of 7,068.8 was found to be 12,947.51 tons of DM per annum with negative feed balance of 5,878.71tons. Based on the findings of the present study, low productive and reproductive performances of livestock at Bonke are clearly associated with meager availability of feed resources. Therefore, introduction and adaptation of alternative feed production technologies such as development of improved forages, feed processing and conservation technologies, skill improving training and efficient feed utilization strategies would be taken as important steps to overcome the prevailing feed supply problem.

Study on Livestock Feed Resources, Biomass Production, Feeding System and Constraints of Livestock Production in Relation to Feeds in Weliso District, South West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Study on Livestock Feed Resources, Biomass Production, Feeding System and Constraints of Livestock Production in Relation to Feeds in Weliso District, South West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia