EFFECTS OF UREA AND LIME TREATED GROUNDNUT SHELL IN MIXED DIETS ON NUTRIENT INTAKE AND in situ DEGRADATION IN YANKASA RAMS

EFFECTS OF UREA AND LIME TREATED GROUNDNUT SHELL IN MIXED DIETS ON NUTRIENT INTAKE AND in situ DEGRADATION IN YANKASA RAMS

Abstract:

The effects of alkali chemical treatment using urea, lime and urea-lime on the nutritive value of groundnut shell (GNS) were examined based on chemical composition, degradation characteristics, voluntary intake, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen balance. The treatment diets, T1, T2, T3, and T4 contained untreated (UT) GNS, urea treated (U) GNS, lime treated (L) GNS and urea-lime treated (UL) GNS respectively mixed with maize offal, cotton seed cake, bone meal and salt; were fed to 4 yearling Yankasa rams in a 4×4 Latin square arrangement with four periods of 15 days. The animals were kept in individual metabolism cages. The GNS were treated with 5% urea, 5% lime and 5% (2.5% urea and 2.5% lime mixed together) urea-lime, ensiled for a period of 3 weeks. The diets were formulated to contain 14% crude protein. Feed was offered without restriction and water was supplied ad libitum. The results revealed significant improvements in all the parameters measured. Voluntary intake increased significantly (P<0.05) in rams fed UTGNS and ULGNS based diets and was lower (p<0.05) in the UGNS group. The in situ rumen degradation characteristics of both the GNS test materials and the GNS based diets DM were determined. While DM disappearance was higher (P<0.05) in UTGNS based diets, its DM degradability was lower (P<0.05) than the other treatments. The UTGNS based diets had lower (p<0.05) DM degradability than the treated group while the ULGNS based ration was improved compared to other treatments. DMD indicated an increase in the ULGNS based diet. On the other hand, LGNS based diet group had the best (P<0.05) nitrogen retention as compared to other treatments. The overall results suggests that treatment with urea and lime on GNS increased the CP content by 100%, improved take by 5.7g/day, increased DMD by 7.4% and increased the DM disappearance at all incubation periods in Yankasa rams.

EFFECTS OF UREA AND LIME TREATED GROUNDNUT SHELL IN MIXED DIETS ON NUTRIENT INTAKE AND in situ DEGRADATION IN YANKASA RAMS