NUTRITIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SMALL RUMINANTS FED BY PRODUCTS OF MORINGA UNDER DESERT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

The present study was done to investigate the best method to improve the nutritive values ofmoringa crop residues by solid state fermentation system through two experimental trials. In the first trial 20 adult male Barki rams (four animals each) were used to evaluate the nutritive values of five diets; moringa stalks treated with brown rote fungi(Trichodermareesei) (MSF), bacteria (Cellulomonascellulasea) (MSB) and yeast (Cellulomonascellulasea) (MSY)comparing with untreated moringa stalksthat served as positive control (MS) or berseem hay seveed as negative control (H). In the second trial, twenty four Barkilambs averaged 20.7 kgbody weight, were divided into equal 3 groups to study the growth performance for 140 days through 3rations;C(CFM + berseem hay), MF(CFM + Mtreated with T. reesei)andMY(CFM+ Mtreated withS.cerevisiaei). Nutrients digestibility, nitrogen balance, rumen fermentation and carcass characteristics for 3 lambs from each group at the end of the experiment period, were also studied. Results could be summarized as follows: First experiment:  Results exhibited that treated moringa stalks decreased DM, OM, CF, EE, NFE, and ADL contents comparing with untreated MS. But, the CP, ash, NDF, hemicellulose, and cellulose contents were higher in treated MS compared with untreated one.  DM intake was 909, 927, 894 and 688 g/h/d for MSF, MSY, MSB and MS, respectively.  All biological treatments resulted in a significant (P<0.05) higher digestibility of all nutrients compared with untreated MS.  The impact of biological treatments was more obvious with the yeast treatment on TDN and DCP comparing with the other treatments and untreated MS.  Second experiment:  DMI of roughages were 420, 458 and 433 g/d for C, MF and MY, respectively. The values of ADG were 173, 146 and 139g for C, MY and MF, respectively.The values of feed conversion ratio were 7.69, 7.12 and 6.21 kg DMI/ kg gain, for MF, MY and C, respectively.  The insignificant (P<0.05) CF digestibility as well as the TDN value is an interesting observation. Otherwise, MY diet showed the highest (P<0.05) DCP value (10.78%) comparing with MF (8.74%) and C (9.84%) diets.  Dressing percentage expressed as either percent of fasting weight or empty weight were not different (P<0.05) among the experimental groups. The MF and MY groups revealed lower (P<0.05) carcass fat as percent of carcass weight than C group and the corresponding values were 4.47, 4.92 and 7.77%, respectively. The feed cost per kg gain was 18.32, 17.94, 17.70 L.E. for C, MY and MF groups respectively.  It may be concluded that treatment of moringa stalks with T.reesei; and S. cerevisiae for 21 days seemed to be more suitable for improving its nutritive value to be used in practical feeding either as sole roughage or as included in rations for growing sheep.

Key words: Sheep, Moringa, solid state fermentation, intake, growth, digestibility, water, rumen, blood, carcass