PERCEPTION AND UTILIZATION OF IMPROVED FORAGE AND EVALUATION OF NATURAL PASTURE HAY SUPPLEMENTED WITH VETCH (Vicia dasycarpa) OR OIL SEEDCAKES AS AN ALTERNATIVE FEEDING REGIME FOR LACTATING J

Three interrelated studies were conducted. The first was a survey to assess farmers’ perception, production and utilization of improved forages (IF) under rural and peri-urban production systems of the selected districts of central highlands of Ethiopia. The other studies were conducted to evaluate the comparative nutritive value of vetch hay (VH), and 3 oil seed cakes (noug seed cake (NSC), cotton seed cake (CSC) and linseed cake (LSC), natural pasture hay (NPH) and a ration formulated from this ingredients using chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and in sacco dry matter degradability (DMD) parameters (second study); and effect of formulated ration on the performance of 20 lactating Jersey cows (third study). The survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire on 105 households (47 rural, 58 peri-urban). Dietary treatments for the 2nd and 3rd studies were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous. Treatments of the 2nd study were 70% NPH + 1.1% wheat bran (WB) + 28.9% VH (T1); 70% NPH + 16.9% WB+ 13.1% NSC (T2); 70% NPH + 12.6% WB + 17.4% CSC (T3); and 70% NPH + 15% WB + 15% LSC (T4). The 3rdstudy was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications which lasted for 305 days. The supplements were a mixture of WB with either of the protein supplements formulated to have 197 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM and fed at about 30% of the entire diet. Treatments were NPH ad libitum plus concentrate (16% WB and 84% VH; T1); (79% WB and 21% NSC; T2); (71% WB and 29% CSC; T3); and (78% WB and 22% LSC; T4).The commonly grown IF were oats, elephant grass and vetch. About 92% of the respondents produce IF while others either purchase or purchase and self-produce. About 91% of respondents have medium and high level of perception score. Illiterateness and land holding significantly (p CSC (393 g/kg), while values for VH and NSC was similar (P > 0.05) with LSC. Formulated diets of study 2 had a CP content of 95 g/kg DM and IVOMD ranged from 500 to 536 g/kg. The PD was similar (P>0.05) among treatment diets (ranged from 722 to 738 g/kg DM). The ED differed only between T3 (459 g/kg) and T2 (490 g/kg) due to the lower ED of CSC. Total DM intake was 9.96, 10.75, 11.06 and 11.61 kg/day for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively and deferred only between T1 and T4. Crude protein (CP) intake was lower for T1 (0.95 kg/day) than T2 (1.15), T3 (1.13) and T4 (1.16) kg/day. Milk yield for T1 was lower (5.74 kg/day) than other treatments (range 7.31 to 7.55 kg/day). Apparent digestibility of DM and CP was similar among treatments. Milk yield was 5.74, 7.42, 7.31 and 7.55 kg/day for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively and was lower for T1 than other treatments. Except for protein content of milk, where T1 was lower than T2 and T3, others (fat, lactose, ash and total solids) were similar among treatments. Partial budget analysis showed that supplementation of VH and NSC to be economically feasible options. It is concluded that farmers in the study areas have good perception on the importance of IF as dairy feed resource. However, effective extension is necessary to ensure sustainable production and utilization of IF in the study areas. Results of the experimental study highlighted the need for supplementation of NPH to dairy animals. Based on the results of the 2nd study the four protein sources (VH, NSC, CSC and LSC) had a comparable nutritional value. The 3rd study highlighted that VH due to its effect of lowering production cost, to be a good input in buffering the increasing cost of production on relatively lower capital owning farmers. Therefore, vetch (Vicia dasycarpa) can be grown and preserved as hay to effectively replace conventional protein supplement or oil seed cakes in the ration of jersey dairy animals