Feed intake, nutrient digestibility and animal growth performance in sheep and goats fed wheat straw ad lib. in presence of ZADO as direct feed of anaerobic enzymes and bacteria

Abstract

Six crossbred sheep (32 kg BW) and six Baladi goats (18 kg BW) were used to evaluate the effect of ZADO (new probiotic, patent No. 22155) as feed direct microbials on feed intake, apparent digestibility and animal growth performance. Sheep and goats were randomly divided into two groups of three animals and fed wheat straw ad lib. as a basal diet and commercial concentrate with or without 10g/animal/d of ZADO. A growth performance trial of 65-days was ended by a digestibility trial of 21-days for each individual animal within each group. Feed intake was not affected (P>0.05) by ZADO addition neither in sheep nor goats but it improved the nutrients digestibility coefficients as well as total digestible nutrient of feed in sheep and goats. ZADO significantly increased (P<0.001) the neutral detergent fiber digestibility of diet. The improvement (P<0.001) was more in goats than sheep. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were improved (P<0.05) by addition of ZADO, and the improvement was more in goats than sheep. Calculated net energy required for one kg gain was decreased (P<0.05) by inclusion of ZADO in diets and the decease was more in goats than sheep. Improving the animal performance by addition of ZADO was as a consequence to the improvement in digestibility in sheep and goats. In conclusion, ZADO had improved the nutritive value of wheat straw, as a basal diet in sheep and goats and suggested that its useful roles in activating the ruminal fiber degrading enzymes.