Response of sheep fed with tropical tree legume foliages and Taiwan grass (Pennisetum purpureum)
Sixteen growing intact male Pelibuey sheep, 16.2 kg initial live weight, were randomly allocated to pens. Four treatments with four replications were applied in order to evaluate the response of sheep to tree legume foliages. The treatments (on dry matter basis) were: T1 = 100% Taiwan (Pennisetum purpureum) grass (TG); T2 = 50% Erythrina sp leaves (EL) + 50% TG; T3 = 50% Gliricidia sepium leaves (GSL) + 50% TG; and T4 =50% Erythrina poeppigiana leaves (EPL) + 50% TG. The highest (P < 0.05) total dry matter intake (DMI) were for T1 and T2 (453.2 and 517.4 g/sheep per day, respectively), and both were higher (P < 0.05) than T3 and T4 (419.9 and 416.6 g/sheep per day, respectively). Animals in all the treatments evaluated lost weight (40, 23, 28 and 28 g/sheep per day for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively), with no differences among treatments. The results showed a poor growth response of sheep fed with diets containing tree legume foliages.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Pennisetum purpureum, Erythrina, Gliricidia sepium, Erythrina poeppigiana, Ovejas, Nutrición animal, Artfrosur, |
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