Supplementation of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Hay, Wheat Bran and Their Mixtures to Begait Sheep Fed Grass Hay in Western Tigray, Ethiopia: Effects on Growth Performance, Carcass Characterist

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Abstract:

Twenty five yearling male Begait sheep with initial body weight (BW) of 28.02± 1.49 (mean ± SD) were used to evaluate the effect of supplementation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculat) hay (CPH), wheat bran (WB) and their mixtures to sheep fed grass hay (GH) on feed intake, digestibility, average daily gain (ADG), carcass characteristics, skin quality and economic feasibility. Experimental sheep were blocked in to five blocks based on initial body weight and randomly assigned to the five treatments. Treatments were ad libitum feeding of GH and supplemented with 300g CPH, 225g CPH +75g WB, 150g CPH +150g WB, 75g CPH +225g WB and 300g WB DM/day, respectively for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. Water and common salt blocks were freely available to sheep. The experiment consisted of 90 days and 7 days of feeding and digestibility trials, respectively and carcass evaluation and skin quality determination at the end. The crude protein (CP) content of GH, CPH and WB were 5.46%, 17.15% and 16.5%, respectively. Total DM intake was 687.1, 669.4, 719.4, 631.0 and 673.47 ± 6.8 PSE gd-1 for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively and significantly higher (p

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Supplementation of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Hay, Wheat Bran and Their Mixtures to Begait Sheep Fed Grass Hay in Western Tigray, Ethiopia: Effects on Growth Performance, Carcass Characterist

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