Groundnut Hay Research Articles

Effects of Introducing Different Levels of Groundnut Hay Treated with Urea and Molasses on Performance of Desert Lambs (Hammari Ecotype)

Non-traditional agricultural by-products are a potentially valuable alternative source of animal feed which may decrease dependence on traditional feed products and decrease overall feeding costs. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of using groundnut hay in lambs fattening. Groundnut hay was used at three levels (0, 20 and 30%) in three iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets (A, B and C). Twenty seven male lambs of Sudanese Desert sheep (Hamari ecotype) were selected according to their age (4-5months) and average live body weight (20.5Kg) and they were kept in Rural Development and Extension Center (R.D.E.C). The experimental feed includes three different levels of groundnut hay treated with urea and molasses (0, 20 and 30 %). Experimental animals were fed for 60 days included two weeks as adaptation periods. All the data was collected and statistically analyzed by using statistical package for Social Studies (SPSS version 17.0). an A Completely Randomized Design (CRD). One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncans multiple range were used to test for difference among the treatments means. The study showed a significant differences (P>0.05) among different treatments for average values of final live body weight gain(FLBWG), total live body weight gain(TLBWG), daily live body weight gain(DLBWG), feed conversion rate(FCR), feed conversion rate as % of live body weight gain, cost of one kg feed and cost of one kg live weight per (SG). While initial live body weight (ILBW) and daily feed intake (DFI) showed no significant differences (P>0.05) among different treatments. Treatment A (control) reported the highest and best values of final live body weight, daily weight gain, cost of one kg feed, and cost of one kg live weight followed by treatment B (%20) while treatment C (30%) reported the lowest values so, we recommend to use groundnut hay up to 20% for finishing desert lamb.

PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, MINERAL CONTENTS AND FATTY ACIDS PROFILE OF SELECTED CROP RESIDUES ACROSS SAVANNAH AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

Characterization of the chemical composition of animal feed for major nutrients is one of the most vital considerations in the field of animal nutrition. In this study, the proximate constituents, mineral contents and fatty acid profile of selected crop residues across savannah agro-ecological zones of Northern Nigeria were evaluated. The crop residues were collected using multi-stage sampling techniques where three agro-ecological zones were selected from northern part of Nigeria. One local government area (LGA) was then selected from each zone and nine different forms of cereal and legume crop residues (cowpea hay, cowpea husk, groundnut hay, groundnut shell, maize cobs, maize husk, maize stalk, millet stalk and sorghum stalk) among the common residues used as feedstuffs by farmers were selected from each LGA. The collected samples were processed and analyzed using standard analytical procedures and the data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that, there is significant (p<0.05) differences among the crop residues in the proximate composition. Maize cobs had the highest dry matter contents (92.99%) and least ash contents of 2.07% and the highest ash content was recorded in cowpea husk (7.56%). Groundnut shell had the highest crude fiber contents (57.29%) and least nitrogen free extracts (33.19%). However, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference among the crop residues in terms of mineral contents except in zinc where significant (p<0.05) difference was observed. Similarly, fatty acids profiles were not significantly (p>0.05) different among the crop residues evaluated. The crop residues are endowed with high nutrients therefore should be fed to ruminants.

Nutrient intake, digestibility and rumen metabolites in bulls fed rice straw with or without supplements

Nutrient intake, digestibility and rumen metabolites were determined in rumen - cannulated bulls fed rice straw or straw supplemented with urea, groundnut hay or cotton seed cake. Total dry matter intake (DMI) ranged from 7.55 10 8.29kg/d or 3.66 to 4.04% of liveweight and from 6.48 to 7.21kg/d for organic matter. Total DMI was increased by supplementation with urea and groundnut hay by about 7.6%. However, supplementation with groundnut hay and cotton seed cake reduced straw intake. Digestible organic matter intake (DOMI) was highest on straw supplemented with groundnut hay. There were no dietary differences in the digestibility of dry matter (DMD), organic matter (OMD), cellulose (CD) and hemicellulose (HCD). Digestibility of crude protein (CPD) was higher on the supplemented diets than on basal rice straw. The rumen pa ranged from 6.42 - 8.28; ammonia-N (RAN), 6.74 - 27.70mg/100ml; volatile fatty acids (VFA), 8.79 - 12.40mmol/100ml and bacterial count, 5.73-16.10 (x 10s)/ml and those values were affected by diets (D), period of sampling (P) and their interactions (D x P).

Rumen dry matter degradability of Yankasa rams fed Brachiaria ruziziensis (Congo grass) hay with different supplements

This study was carried out to determine rumen dry matter degradability of Brachiaria ruziziensis (Congo grass) by cannulated Yankasa rams fed different supplements (maize offal, wheat offal, groundnut hay). The research was carried out at Polycon Research farm, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi. Four (4) cannulated Yankasa rams were used for the study, each animal was replicated three times. In-sacco method involving small nylon bags containing experimental diets were inserted into the rumen of the cannulated rams at 0 hour, with inspection at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours. Three (3) nylon bags marked with different colours containing different treatment diets were inserted into the cannula of the rumen to test for degradability, the small nylon bags were removed at different hours (6, 12, 18 and 24 hours, respectively) to test their degradability. The supplementary treatment diets were wheat offal (WO), Maize Offal (MO) and Groundnut Hay (GH) while Brachiaria ruziziensis was fed as basal diet. The rumen degradability showed significant difference (P<0.05) across the treatments at different hours. Results from this study showed that MO had the highest value (P<0.05) at 0 (27.20%), 6 (36.75%), 12 (38.62%) and 18 (46.15%) hours. However, WO had the highest value (64.72%) at 24 hours, but the value obtained was similar with 61.32% obtained for rams fed maize offal supplement. It was concluded from the result of this study that treatment T2 (Brachiaria ruziziensis + Maize offal) had the best rumen degradability. Itis therefore, recommended that maize offal should be supplemented with Brachiaria ruziziensis hay at 370g/day for better rumen degradabilit y in ruminant animals.

Assessment of different supplemental feeding strategies including cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) to enhance sheep productivity in Chakwal, Pakistan

In arid and semiarid areas, livestock production is faced with a challenge of uncertain feed supply which limits the quantity of forage available to animals either from natural grazing or crop residues. The current study compared the effect of three different supplemental feeds including oat (Avena sativa L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and spineless cactus [Opuntia ficu-sindica (L.) Mill.] in addition to a control treatment (farmer practice without supplementation) on sheep productivity, over a 60-day period in Chakwal, Pakistan. The common ingredients of the three diets were maize grain, barley grains, wheat bran, canola meal, groundnut hay and wheat straw. Eighteen ewes of similar age and weight were allocated to each treatment, with measurements of live-weight gain recorded at 15-day intervals. Lactating ewes fed oat (0.076 kg day‑1) and lucerne (0.064 kg day‑1) supplements showed similar average daily gain (ADG) compared with cactus- and control-supplemented ewes, with the same trend observed for dry ewes. The ADG for lambs fed cactus and lucerne was greater (at 0.083 kg day‑1 for both), compared with those fed oats and the control treatment. Weight changes of lactating ewes fed with different supplement feeds were not significantly different over the course of the experiment. Dry ewes supplemented with cactus had greater weight gains (54 kg at 15 days of supplementing and 57 kg at 60 days of supplementing) compared with oat-supplemented dry ewes (46 and 50 kg) from the first weighing interval until the end of the experiment. Based on these results, it can be concluded that supplementing sheep with cactus has a positive impact on live-weight gain, compared with solely grazing under poor rangeland conditions. Therefore, it is important to develop rations that maximize the full potential of this low-nitrogen, yet water- and carbohydrate-rich alternative feed source.

Performance of Young Sheep Fed Maize Bran and Groundnut Hay Supplemented with Sodium Chloride

This study was conducted to assess the effect of common salt supplementation on the performance of young sheep fed maize bran and ground nut hay as basal diet. It covered a period of 12 weeks. A 3×3 Latin square design was employed in the experiment. The daily feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were measured during the experimental period. Results showed that the inclusion of common salt at the level of 1.0% of feed had no significant effect on feed intake (p>0.05). There was depressed feed intake as quantity of salt increased from 0.0%, to 0.5% and 1.0%. The best mean average daily weight gain of 43.45%was obtained with the 1.0% treatment. Salt inclusion up to 1.0% level in sheep ration, had no adverse effect on performance, it rather gave a more favorable weight gain and conversion efficiency. These findings are of very practical significance in sheep fattening, especially for farmers in rural setups.

Performance of Young Sheep Fed Maize Bran and Groundnut Hay Supplemented with Sodium Chloride

This study was conducted to assess the effect of common salt supplementation on the performance of young sheep fed maize bran and ground nut hay as basal diet. It covered a period of 12 weeks. A 3×3 Latin square design was employed in the experiment. The daily feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were measured during the experimental period. Results showed that the inclusion of common salt at the level of 1.0% of feed had no significant effect on feed intake (p>0.05). There was depressed feed intake as quantity of salt increased from 0.0%, to 0.5% and 1.0%. The best mean average daily weight gain of 43.45%was obtained with the 1.0% treatment. Salt inclusion up to 1.0% level in sheep ration, had no adverse effect on performance, it rather gave a more favorable weight gain and conversion efficiency. These findings are of very practical significance in sheep fattening, especially for farmers in rural setups.

The effect of feeding groundnut hay and concentrates on some carcass characteristics of Sudanese Desert lambs (tribal subtypes Hamari and Kabashi) in North Kordofan State, Sudan

The effect of feeding groundnut hay and concentrates on some carcass characteristics of Sudanese Desert lambs (tribal subtypes Hamari and Kabashi) in North Kordofan State, Sudan

EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND MICRO-DOSING OF FERTILIZER ON GROUNDNUT, SESAME AND COWPEA IN WESTERN SUDAN

SUMMARYThe effect of seed priming and micro-dosing in groundnut, cowpea and sesame was studied for three years in on-farm and on station experiments under rainfed agriculture in North Kordofan, Sudan. The on-station trials showed that seed priming increased groundnut pod and hay yields by 18% and 20% respectively. Micro-dosing of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 g fertilizer per pocket increased groundnut pod yield across the three years by 36.7, 67.6 and 50.8% respectively compared to the control. The highest yield increases were consistently obtained when micro-dosing was combined with seed priming. A combination of seed priming and micro-dosing of 0.6 g increased groundnut yield by 106%. Priming alone did not significantly affect sesame seed or hay yield, but micro-dosing of 0.6 g per pocket increased the grain yield by 38% over the control. Cowpea grain yield in the on-station experiments was not significantly affected by seed priming or micro-dosing. However, both seed priming and micro-dosing increased cowpea hay yield. In the on-farm trials, seed priming increased groundnut and cowpea yields by 18.2 and 25.5% respectively, and seed priming combined with 0.3 g fertilizer increased their yields by 42.2 and 54.5% respectively compared to the control. For sesame the yield increase after 0.3 g fertilizer per pocket was 46.3%. The economic analyses of the on-station experiments showed that the highest gross margin was obtained when combining seed priming with 0.6 g micro-dosing for all the crops. These results show that the combination of micro-dosing and seed priming has the potential to increase productivity and improve net return in the crops tested.

Comparative digestive ability and rumen microbial community of N’Dama and N’Dama x Jersey cattle fed different diets

Rumen fluid collected from three rumen fistulated N’Dama and three crossbred animals fed three different diets at medium supplementation level, was used to compare the plant cell wall degrading community of the two breeds of cattle. In vivo digestibility was also examined and compared using 12 animals (six of each breed) fed the same diets. The microbial community of the rumen was analyzed by 16S rRNA hybridisation, using phylogenetic probes of different levels: a universal probe, domain-specific probes for Bacteria, Eukarya and Archaea, and probes targeting cellulolytic organisms: Chytridiomycetes, Fibrobacter spp., Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens. In vivo , organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility were significantly higher in N’Dama compared to crossbred animals when they were fed either baby corn stover and concentrate, or groundnut hay and moringa. In contrast, when the animals were fed groundnut hay and concentrate there was no difference in OM and NDF digestibility between the two breeds. Results of the microbial community analysis showed that RNA concentration of total Bacteria and Archaea was not affected by the breeds of animal, but were significantly affected by diet. The eukaryotic RNA concentration was higher in crossbred animals compared to the N’Dama and was not affected by the diet. Fibrobacter and R. flavefaciens RNA concentrations (μg/mL) were significantly dependent on diet and breed. Ruminococcus albus and Chytridiomycetes RNA concentrations were neither affected by the breed, nor by the diet of the animals. This suggested that the differences between breeds observed in digestibility could be partially explained by the composition of the cell wall degrading community. ________________________________________________________________________________

Effects of Donor diets, breed and increasing level of supplementation on in vitro gas production parameters

In vitro fermentation studies were undertaken to evaluate the effects of donor diets and breeds on fermentation parameters. Rumen fluid from 3 N’Dama and 3 crossbred donor animals was used for 24 hour in vitro fermentations. The donor animals were fed consecutively the same three diets Baby corn Stover plus concentrate (BCS:Co), Groundnut hay plus concentrate(GNH:Co) and Groundnut hay plus moringa(GNH:Mo) at 20% level of supplementation. Each of these inocula was incubated with substrates consisting of BCS:Co, GNH:Co and GNH:Mo at 5 levels of supplementation, plus supplement alone. The breed of the donor animals did not significantly affect 24 hour gas production, but short chain fatty acid concentration was higher with rumen fluid from crossbreds when donors were fed BCS:Co and GNH:Mo. Moringa meal as supplement to donor animals changed the fermentation pattern of all the substrates, such that gas production and SCFA increased substantially in groundnuthay based substrates, whereas gas production of BCS:Co substrates decreased and SCFA did not substantially change. In vitro digestibility was higher with rumen fluid from N’Dama whatever the diet of donor animals and the substrate incubated. Thus, when testing a supplementation strategy in vitro, it should be important that donor animals are fed the same components (roughage and supplement) that will be combined at different levels in vitro, whilst the breed of donor animals may be of second importance. This work provides conclusive evidence that in vitro incubations may be used to design supplementation strategies, thus reducing the need for in vivo experiments.

The Effects of Supplementing Legume Crop Residue with <i>Faidherbia albida<,/i> Pods for Goat Feeding in the North East Nigeria

The effect of Faidherbia albida pods inclusion (groundnut hay and maize offal) on dry matter intake, digestion and live weight change was studied using 12 male West African dwarf goats aged between 15 to 18 months and weighing 29 ± 1kg. The goats were randomly allotted to three treatments with four goats per treatment. The treatments compared were control (To) diet without Faidherbia albida pod, treatment (T1) with 10% Faidherbia albida pods and treatment (T2) which contained 20% Faidherbia albida pods. Dry matter intake, water intake, dry-water digestibility and live weight changes were measured. The dry matter intakes of 1.15, 1.10 and 1.14kg/head/day were recorded for the control, treatment T1 and treatment T2 respectively. The weight gain values of 0.179, 0.180, and 0.97kg/head/day were obtained for treatments To, T1 and T2 respectively. There was significant (P

Effect of concentrate supplementation of groundnut hay or lablab hay on dry matter intake, digestibility and growth performance of fattening rams

Effect of concentrate supplementation of groundnut hay or lablab hay on dry matter intake, digestibility and growth performance of fattening rams

Effect of cowpea hay, groundnut hay, cotton seed meal and maize meal supplementation to maize stover on intake, digestibility, microbial protein supply and acetate kinetics in weaner lambs.

Ten weaner lambs were used in a double 5 x 5 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of supplementing maize stover (MS) with cowpea hay (CW), groundnut hay (GN), cotton seed meal (CSM) or maize meal (MM) on the intake, digestion kinetics and acetate clearance rate. CW and GN were offered at 30% w/w to MS, while CSM and MM were given at 15 g/kg0.75 per day. Supplementation reduced (p < 0.01) MS intake but enhanced (p < 0.01) total dry matter intake. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in digestibility. However, the estimated ME intake was significantly (p < 0.05) improved by supplementation. The estimated microbial protein supply was almost significantly (p < 0.06) improved by 22.68%, 5.35%, 17.58% and 47.90% on the CW-, GN-, CSM- and MM-supplemented diets, compared to the control (7.85 g/day). Microbial protein synthesis efficiency was not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by diet, and nor were the acetate clearance rates (p > 0.05), which averaged 0.0475 +/- 0.0078/min. The improvement in ME intake may have been due to a faster flow rate of digesta and a better balance of nutrients in the end-products of digestion. These results demonstrate that small amounts of forage supplements can improve nutrient intake when animals consume low-quality forages and provide a basis for comparing such supplements with bought-in protein and energy supplements.

Ruminal fermentation kinetics in ewes offered a maize stover basal diet supplemented with cowpea hay, groundnut hay, cotton seed meal or maize meal.

The effect on ruminal digestive kinetics of supplementing maize stover (MS) with cowpea hay (CW), groundnut hay (GN), cotton seed meal (CSM) or maize meal (MM) was evaluated in a 5 x 5 Latin square using five Merino ewes with ruminal cannulae. CW and GN were offered at 30% w/w to MS, while CSM and MM were given at 15 g/kg0.75 per day. There were significant time (p < 0.001) and time x diet (p < 0.05) effects on pH but the effect of diet alone was not significant (p > 0.05). There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the concentration of ammonia with time on the supplemented diets. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in the concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Butyrate increased with supplementation (p < 0.05). Supplementation increased the concentrations of branched-chain and total VFAs with time (p < 0.05). The non-glucogenic ratio was not significantly (p > 0.05) lower on supplemented diets owing to the higher butyrate concentration. The degradation curve constants were not significantly different (p > 0.05), the average effective dry matter degradation being 27.80% +/- 0.618% at 0.05 h-1 flow rate. The chemical and physical characteristics of the cell wall of MS may have presented few sites for microbial colonization, so limiting degradation. These results showed that small quantities of forage supplements can improve the ruminal environment in animals subsisting on low-quality forages and form a basis for comparison with bought-in protein and energy sources.

Effects of nutrition pre-partum and post partum on subsequent productivity and health of N’Dama cows infected with Trypanosoma congolense

AbstractThis experiment studied the effects of body condition, long- and short-term levels of nutrition and trypanosomosis infection on the productivity of N’Dama cows using a 2 x 2 × 2 factorial cross-over design. Pre-partum, 23 cows received supplements for 6 months (H), the other group of 20 for 2 months (L). Both groups grazed native pastures. Two days post partum, half the cows from each group were placed on a basal (B) or supplemented (S) plane of nutrition. The diet of concentrate, groundnut hay and andropogon hay was the same, only the quantities differed. Four weeks post partum half the animals in each group were inoculated with T. congolense organisms (I), the others acted as controls (C). The trial continued for a further 6 weeks.Pre-partum nutrition (H, L had no effect on dry-matter intake (DMI) but pre-partum feeding (H) improved post-partum productivity, evident by higher dam live weights (P &lt; 0·05), body condition (P &lt; 0·001), calf birth weight (P &lt; 0·05) and calf live-weight gain (P &lt; 0·01). Post-partum nutrition had no effect on productivity. Trypanosomosis infection caused a reduction (P &lt; 0·05) in total DMI. The decline in groundnut hay and concentrate intake was proportionally (P &lt; 0·001) greater in the S-I group than in the B-I group. A low plane of nutrition pre-partum depressed milk yield but increased fat concentration (P &lt; 0·05). Infection significantly reduced milk offtake (P &lt; 0·05). The reduction in milk offtake (P &lt; 0·01) and calf live weight (P &lt; 0·05) were proportionally larger in the B-I than in the S-I group. Infection caused a decline in milk protein concentration (P &lt; 0·05) and protein yield (P &lt; 0·01) which was independent of dietary effects. Infection reduced (P &lt; 0·01) the packed-cell volume but there were no interactions with diet. None of the cows was pregnant 150 days post partum but seven were cycling, 3(5) in the H-S-I group, 2(7) in the H-B-I group, 1(5) in the L-B-I group and 1(5) in the L-S-C group. These results suggest that S-I cows attempted to maintain milk yield at the expense of live weight whereas the B-I cows had insufficient live-weight reserves that could be mobilized. This suggests the nutritional balance and changes in weight at the time of infection might be more important than historical planes of nutrition.

Dry season supplementation of goats tethered on range supplemented with cowpea or groundnut residues with or without fresh leucaena leaves

The feed value of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata) and groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) crop residues were evaluated on growing male landim goats tethered on native pasture during the 1992 and 1993 dry seasons in semi-arid Southern Mozambique. Treatments were native pasture alone as a control, native pasture+cowpea residue ad libitum and native pasture+groundnut residue ad libitum. During the second year, treatments with (0.5% liveweight (LW) on dry matter (DM) basis) or without fresh leucaena ( Leucaena leucocephala) leaves were superimposed on the three treatments. During the 1993 dry season, both the cowpea and the groundnut groups gained more weight ( p=0.0002) than the control group. The situation changed in 1993, a year with dry season rains. The unsupplemented group lost weight only in November and only during this period did some positive effect of supplementation occur. Over the season, there was no effect ( p=0.48) of either residue or leucaena supplementation. The ammonia–nitrogen concentrations in the rumen fluid of the control group, measured in the 1993 dry season, were depressed by the inclusion of groundnut hay and increased by cowpea supplementation. Leucaena also depressed the ruminal NH 3 in the crop residue diets but increased NH 3 in the control group. The conclusion was that residue supplementation during the dry season was beneficial during a dry year.

Effects of Trypanosoma congolense infection and groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) hay supplementation on ranging, activity, and diet selection of N'Dama cows

The objective was to study effects of groundnut hay (GNH) supplementation and trypanosomosis infection on diet selection and grazing behaviour of N'Dama cattle in the late dry season in The Gambia. Twenty multiparous lactating cows were allocated to two groups: infected and control. The 10 cows in the infected group were intradermally injected with a Trypanosoma congolense clone known as ITC 84. Supplementary feeding with GNH commenced 14 days after infection and continued for 10 weeks. The start of supplementation coincided with peak parasitaemia, when the infected and control groups were each divided in two sub-groups of five. Animals received either 0 or 2 kg per day of fresh GNH. Each of the 10 infected cows (five supplemented and five non-supplemented) were paired with a comparable control for the duration of the trial and followed at least three times (range 3–5). Every 5 min, throughout the 9–10 h grazing day, a record was made of four activities and, if the animal was feeding, the food item identified. The distance travelled was also measured. The cattle spent 78% of their time feeding on grasses, of which Hyparrhenia rufa and Andropogon gayanus were the dominant species. Neither infection nor GNH supplementation had any effect on the diet selected. Based on the mean distance travelled, the energetic cost of walking was estimated to be 10% of the metabolizable energy (ME) required for maintenance. Trypanosomosis infection had no significant effect on grazing behaviour. However, cows supplemented with GNH spent a greater proportion of the day resting ( P<0.01); this was particularly evident in the final two grazing periods of the day. There was also a significant interaction ( P<0.05) between GNH supplementation and infection in the early afternoon when the infected group supplemented with GNH spent a greater proportion of time resting and less time feeding.

The effects of work and two planes of nutrition on trypanotolerant draught cattle infected with Trypanosoma congolense

AbstractThirty-two N'Dama bulls aged 3 to 4 years were used to study the interactions between work, trypanosomosis and nutrition. The bulls were randomly allocated to two treatments, working (W) and non-working (N). Half in each treatment were placed on an andropogon hay basal diet (B), the other half on a better quality groundnut hay diet (H). Five days a week, four pairs of animals in the BW group and and four pairs in the HW group pulled weighted sledges four times around a 2056-m track. Loads were set to ensure energy expenditure was equivalent to 1·4 times maintenance. After 4 weeks all 32 bulls were injected intradermally with 104 Trypanosoma congolense organisms. The trial continued for a further 8 weeks.Trypanosome infection caused a significant (P &lt; 0·001) decline in packed cell volume (PCV), and the anaemia was more severe (P &lt; 0·05) in working animals; three pairs in the HW group and two pairs in the BW group were withdrawn because PCV fell below 17%. Diet had no effect on PCV or parasitaemia. Infection caused a decline in food intake (P &lt; 0·001) but with significant interactions between diet and work. Intake patterns were similar in the BN and BW groups whilst the HW animals consumed significantly more groundnut hay compared with the HN group (P &lt; 0·01). However, nutrition had no significant effect on lap times or the team's ability to work under trypanosomosis challenge. Post-infection, diet was the dominant factor determining weight change, HN and HW animals weighed significantly more than BN and BW animals (P &lt; 0·01) and the interaction between period, diet and work demonstrated that BWhad the lowest weights in the latter stages of the trial (P &lt; 0·05).The results suggest that supplementation with better quality forages confers no benefit to an animal infected with trypanosomes. Nor can trypanotolerant cattle sustain long periods of work if subiected to a primary challenge of trypanosomes.

The use of groundnut hay as a supplement for sheep consuming poor quality natural pasture hay

A 5 × 5 latin square design experiment using five male sheep (60–70 kg live weight) was carried out to assess the effects of supplementing poor quality veld hay with groundnut hay on intake, digestibility, rumen environment and digesta kinetics. Five diets were formulated in which veld hay with 1% urea was fed alone (Control) or together with 100 g, 200 g or 300 g groundnut hay (100Gnut, 200Gnut or 300Gnut, respectively) and groundnut hay fed alone (Gnut). The forages were coarsely chopped prior to feeding. The groundnut hay supplements increased total feed intake and in vivo digestibility of the diets ( P < 0.05). Intake of veld hay tended to decline with increasing levels of groundnut hay in the diet. This decline in veld hay intake was however less than anticipated if there had been simple substitution. Supplementation increased the concentration of ammonia and volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid, but had no significant effect on in sacco degradation of veld hay. Measurements using chromium-mordanted hay and Co-EDTA, showed that rumen digesta volume/pool size were not affected by supplementation, while digesta outflow rate was increased. In the absence of positive associative effects on digestion of the poor quality forage, the increase in digesta outflow rate was probably the mechanism facilitating an increase in feed intake.