Etela I., Larbi A., Bamikole M.A., Ikhatua U.J., Oji U.I.
Department of Animal Science and Fisheries, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic; Department of Animal Scien
Etela, I., Department of Animal Science and Fisheries, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; Larbi, A., International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic; Bamikole, M.A., Department of Animal Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; Ikhatua, U.J., Department of Animal Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; Oji, U.I., Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The study investigated rumen dry matter (DM) degradability characteristics in a completely randomized design and the effects of milk, sweet potato foliage (SPF) from three cultivars (A = TIS-87/0087; B = TIS-8164; C = TIS-2532.OP.1.13), dried brewers' grains (DBG) and cottonseed meal (CSM) as supplements to Panicum maximum (Panicum) for pre-weaned calves in randomized complete block designs. Diet 1 = milk + SPF-A foliage + Panicum, Diet 2 = milk + SPF-B foliage + Panicum, Diet 3 = milk + SPF-C foliage + Panicum, and Diet 4 = milk + DBG & CSM + Panicum (as control). Dry matter (130 ± 0.4 to 864 ± 3.9 g kg- 1), ash (54 ± 4.2 to 173 ± 2.8 g kg- 1 DM), OM (827 ± 4.2 to 946 ± 5.7 g kg- 1 DM), N (7.4 ± 0.6 to 38.6 ± 1.4 g kg- 1 DM), and NDF (439 ± 1.4 to 774 ± 8.5 g kg- 1 DM) contents were highly significant (P < 0.01). In Trial I, 16 pre-weaned calves were used over 70 d with milk intake (34.8 ± 4.4 ml kg W- 0.75 d- 1), Panicum DMI (22.3 ± 2.77 g kg W- 0.75 d- 1), total DMI (35.7 ± 2.83 g kg W- 0.75 d- 1), and LWG (198 ± 44.6 g d- 1) not significantly different (P > 0.05). Supplement DMI varied (P < 0.05) from 11.6 g kg W- 0.75 d- 1 in Diet 3 to 16.6 g kg W- 0.75 d- 1 in Diet 4. In Trial II, 16 pre-weaned local and crossbred calves were involved over 77 d with initial age of calves, Panicum intake, metabolic DMI, and LWG similar (P > 0.05) among crosses. Birthweight varied (P < 0.05) from 17.3 kg for N'Dama × Jersey crosses to 21.2 kg for White Fulani × Brown Swiss crosses. Supplement and total DMI ranged (P < 0.05) from 172 to 483 g d- 1 for N'Dama × Jersey crosses to 233 and 674 g d- 1 for non-inseminate or purebred calves, respectively. The LWG in the White Fulani × Brown Swiss and the N'Dama × Jersey calves were respectively 30% and 24% better, though not significantly, than purebred calves. In Trial III, rumen DM degradability characteristics of feeds in three N'Dama steers showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in slowly degradable fraction (b) and rate of degradation of b (c). Soluble fraction (a), 48-h degradation, potential degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) varied significantly (P < 0.05) and were lowest in Panicum, but similar for foliage among the three sweet potato cultivars. Panicum fodder showed improvements in degradation characteristics with supplementation. © 2007.