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Feeds And Feeding Of Sheep And Goat
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Previous studies (Aboud et al, 1992)
clearly indicate the value of selective feeding. Sheep were shown to
perform better and consume more digestible matter through selective
intake of leaf and sheath fractions of sorghum stover as a result of
liberal offers. This observation is of practical value for small
ruminants in the tropics because the traditional feeding systems depend
largely on crop residues. However, there is little evidence in the
literature that the approach adopted by Aboud et al (1992) would be as
effective for goats as it was for sheep. Results from comparative
studies between sheep and goats of selective efficiency are generally
conflicting (Huston, 1978; Devendra and Bums, 1983). Goats in the
tropics are more able than sheep to consume feed fractions of higher
nutritional quality when offered the opportunity to eat selectively
(Devendra and Burns, 1983; Hoppe et al, 1977; Huston, 1978). This
observation does not agree with studies carried out in temperate
countries, where sheep have been shown to perform better than goats
under most practical feeding systems. A comparative feeding and
performance study on Small East African goats and the Red Maasai sheep
in Tanzania (Shoo, 1986) was inconclusive, although sheep appeared to
perform better than goats when offered a basal diet of Chlorisgayanahay
with Leucaenaas a supplementary forage. However, observations in Shoo’s
(1986) study did not include an assessment of selective feeding ability
between the two species. The inclusion of a supplementary forage may
have confounded the results, as it is known that goats would
preferentially consume browse species (Lu, 1988). Most of the
comparative studies in the tropics were made under grazing conditions,
whereas those in the temperate countries involved comparisons under
stall-feeding conditions in which feed was offered at restricted levels,
usually at 35 g dry matter M(D)/kg live weight per day or to achieve
10-20% rate of refusal. Comparative studies under grazing or in stalls
at restricted levels of offer may give misleading results (Demment and
Van Soest, 1983). Restricted levels of offer do not usually provide
sufficient opportunity for selective feeding (Aboud et al, 1993). This
is particularly serious where low-quality crop residues are used in
comparisons.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Comparisons were made between 24 Ethiopian rams and 24 Galla goats for voluntary intake, feed selectivity and growth performance when offered three levels of sorghum stover. The levels observed were 25,50 and 75 g/kg live weight per day. Measurements of intake, growth and feed selectivity were taken over a period of 10 weeks.Both sheep and goats consumed more stover (P0.05) was observed in the pattern of feed selectivity between sheep and goats. Both species showed a similar preference for leaf ... Continue reading---
