Performance Characteristics of Lactating Djallonké Ewes Fed Rice Straw Basal Diets Supplemented With Stylosanthes Hamata

Abstract

A 7-week feed intake and growth performance study involving thirty lactating Djallonké ewes and their lambs was conducted. The ewes were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatment groups resulting in 10 replications. The ewes were individually housed and offered 1000 g rice straw basal diet daily; Stylosanthes hamata given as a supplement at one of the 3 rates, which formed the treatments; i.e. 180 g/d [T180], 240 g/d[T240] or 360 g/d [T360]. Feed intake of the ewes and liveweight changes of the ewes and their lambs were recorded. Intake of rice straw was similar amongst the ewes on the different treatments (P>0.05). However, the ewes consumed more supplement as the amount offered increased resulting in a significant improvement in total feed intake as the supplement offered increased (P< 0.01). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the body weights of the ewes that could be attributable to treatment effects. The average daily gains (ADG) at day 49 for the lambs were, 47.5 [T180], 63.4 [T240] and 76 g [T360]. This result suggest that supplementation of ewes had a significant effect (P<0.01) on the ADG of lambs as the level of supplementation increased. The results further indicate that supplementation of a basal rice straw diet with 360 g per day of Stylosanthes hamata enabled ewes to maintain their body weight in the dry season.Keywords: supplementation, Stylosanthes hamata, rice straw, Djallonké ewes, lambs. Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 57-64