THE EFFECTS OF PLANE OF NUTRITION ON POST - WEANING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YANKASA SHEEP
THE EFFECTS OF PLANE OF NUTRITION ON POST - WEANING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YANKASA SHEEP
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Date
1981-12
Authors
CLARENCE, MAWO LAKPINI
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Abstract
24 weaned Yankasa lambs (12 males and 12
females) aped between 6 and 9 months and weighing
between 10.3 kg and 27. 8 kg were used for the
experiment. The animals balanced for weight were
randomly alloted to four treatments with each
treatment consisting 3 ram - and 3 ewe - lambs.
The four treatments were designated High-high
(HH), High-low (HL), Low-high (LH) and Low-low (LL)
respectively depending on the protein level in each
ration. The HH and LL groups received high protein
ration (12.1% crude protein) and low protein ration
(ff.1%)crude protein) respectively for the entire
period of the experiment. The HL and LH grOUPS
received high protein ration and low protein ration
during the first 100 days of the experiment but were
switched over to low and high protein rations respectively
for the remaining 84 days of the experiment,
The daily feed intake of each pen was determined.
All the animals were weighed fortnighly.Two digestibility
trials were carried out during the first half
and two in the second half of experiment usinp the
male animals.
At the end of the experiment, all the animals were
slaughtered, dressed and jointed into 9 cuts. Each
cut was completely dissected into muscle, fat and
bone.
During the first half of the experiment, the
animals on high protein diet treatment consumed less
feed than those on low protein diet. After the changeover
(Days 100 to 184), the LH animals, consumed more
feed than, the HH animals. HL animals also had a higher
feed intake than animals on LL treatment. For the
entire period of the experiment, LH and HL animals
consumed more feed than HH and LL animals respectively.
The feed intake of the males was higher than that of
the females throughout the period of experiment.
The drymatter, nitrogen and energy digestibility
coefficients of the high protein ration were higher
than those for low protein ration during the first
half of the experiment but at the point of change-over
(3rd digestibility trial), the low protein ration
had higher drymatter and energy digestibility
coefficients while there was no significant difference
between the two rations in nitrogen digestibility.
During the 4th digestibility trial which was conducted
towards the end of the experiment, the hifrh protein
ration had higher digestibility of drymatter, nitrogen
and energy than the low protein ration.
The efficiency of utilization of drymatter, crude
protein and energy war, higher in the bigh protein diet
treatments than in the low protein diet treatments.
The overall efficiency of drymatter and energy utilization
was highest for HH animals followed by the LH group while
animals on LL treatment were least efficient. LH animals
had the highest efficiency of crude protein utilization.
The high protein diet had about 3.3 times as good
feed conversion as the low protein diet. LH and LL
animals had a better feed conversion than animals on
HH and HL treatments respectively during the second
half of the experiment. In all, HH animals had the
best feed conversion, followed by LH animals while
animals on LL treatment had the lowest feed conversion.
The males had a better feed conversion than the female
animals throughout the experiment.
The cost of feed per kg liveweight gain for
animals on low Protein diet was N2.1 more than for those
on high protein diet during the first half of the
experiment. HH animals cost N0.3 more than the LH group
in Producing 1 kg liveweight pain durinp the second half.
However, on the whole, it cost N0.1 more in LH animals
per kg liveweight gain than in HH animals. LL animals
had the highest overall cost of production per kg
liveweight gain while HL animals cost N0.4 more than
the LH group in the production of 1kg liveweight gain.
The carcass weight of HH and HL animals were
1.2 times higher than those of animals on LH and LL
treatments respectively. The dressing percentage,
percents total fat and total muscle were higher in the
high protein ration than in the low protein ration.
Animals on HH treatment had 4.5% more Percentage of
total fat than LH animals while HL animals had 3.1%
more percent total fat than the LL groun. Also, relative
to the carcass weight the LH animals had more muscle
than the HH group. Thus, the LH animals proportionately
had more muscle and less fat than the animals on HH
treatment. There was more percentage of total muscle
and total fat in the males than in the female animals.
Description
A THESIS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
Submitted to the Faculty of Agriculture,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
in Partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the decree of
MASTERS IN SCIENCE
(ANIMAL SCIENCE)
of the
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
Z A R I A
DECEMBER. 1981.
Keywords
PLANE,, NUTRITION,, POST - WEANING,, DEVELOPMENT,, YANKASA SHEEP