STUDIES ON USING SOME GREEN FORAGES IN SI-IEEP FEEDING

Abstract

This study was carried out on 72. sheep (4 rams for degradability experiment + 16 rams for digestibility experiment + 52 lambs for growth performance experiment.) to studythe: 1- Proximate analysis. 2- Digestibility coefficients.

3- Feeding value. 4- Nitrogen balance.

5- Ammonia and TVFA's concentratiomin the rumen liquor.

6- Growth performance. 7- Degradability.

The perennial leucaena (Leucaena leucocaphala) and the annual Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) were the two green forage crops evaluated as replacers for the traditional concentrate feed mixture in sheep diets. This research was done in Mallawi Research Station, belonging to Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center - Ministry of Agriculture.. The plan of this research was designed•as one of the goals of the Animal Nutrition Department of the Animal Production Research Institute to find a solution to the deficiency of green forage in summer season. The experimentalwork was started in October 1996 till the end of the February 2001. A comparison of proximate analysis was conducted among the two green forages, concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and bean straw (B.S). Digestibility coefficients studies were done using both plants as partial replacers for CFM, 0, 25, 50 and 75% hay, and as a pure stand 100 % as• green forage or as hay. The feeding values were calculated as a total digestible nutrients (TDN), starch value (S.V), digestible crude protein and nutritive ratio. Nitrogen balance was studied for the different tested diets. Ammonia and total volatile. fatty acids concentrations m the rumen liquor of sheep fed the tested diets were exam ined.