A study was conducted with the objective to assess the effects of feeding regimes on carcass measurements and proximate composition of finishing Blackhead Ogaden (BHO) sheep. Twenty-four lambs with mean initial body weight of 17.3 ± 0.52 kg were blocked into 6 groups of four lambs based on weight. Lambs in each block were randomly assigned to one of the four dietary treatments. During the growth phase, natural grass hay was offered ad libitum and a mixture of Acacia albida and Cactus pear ( Opuntia ficus-indica ) (at the ratio of 2:1, respectively) was supplemented at the rate of 0.9% (0.9ACM (acacia-cactus mixture), 1.2% (1.2ACM) and 1.5% (1.5ACM) of lambs body weight. Lambs in control treatment (0ACM) did not receive the supplement. During the finishing phase, roughage composed of natural grass hay and haricot bean hauls at 50:50 ratio and concentrate supplement composed of 69% wheat bran and 31% oil seed meals (noug and cottonseed cakes at the ratio of 1.1:1) were fed at roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratios of 60R:40C, 50R:50C, 40R:60C, and 30R:70C. The percentages of roughage and concentrate were determined based on ad libitum consumption of individual animal on dry matter (DM) basis. After the completion of stall feeding, all animals were slaughtered for carcass compositions and linear measurements evaluation. Except the anterior buttock circumference (ABC) and chest depth, all carcass measurements did not vary (p > 0.05) due to feeding regimes. Lambs fed 1.5ACM/30R:70C had (p < 0.05) wider ABC than other treatment groups. Similarly, greater chest depth was recorded for groups in 1.5ACM/ 30R:70C than 0ACM/60R:40C, but the values for the rest treatments were similar. Most carcass compositions did not affect as a result of different feeding regimes, but fat content followed a similar trend to that of chest depth.
In the developing countries of Africa several production bottle necks hamper efficient ruminant animal production. Feed scarcity as well as high cost of feed is among the major factoring growth and carcass development [
The experiment was conducted at Haramaya University goat farm (9.0˚N latitude and 42.0˚E longitude). A total of 24 Blackhead Ogaden lambs with age of 8 - 10 months, as estimated by dentition and information obtained from the owners, were purchased from Jijiga market. Experimental animals were quarantined for 3 weeks in isolated holding yards at the university and vaccinated against common infectious diseases in the area (pasteurellosis and anthrax), de-wormed against internal parasites by albendazol de-wormer, and sprayed with acaricides (Vetacidin 20%) against external parasites. Following quarantine, the experimental animals were placed in experimental house partitioned into individual pens (70 × 120 cm) that is equipped with feeding trough and watering bucket. Animals were acclimated to the experimental procedures and feeds for 14 days before the commencement of the trials. The experiment consisted growth and finishing phases each with three months of stall feeding Afterthe completion of 180 days stall feeding, all lambs were slaughtered for carcass linear measurements and compositions studies.
Natural grass hay as a basal diet and dried Acacia albida leaves and pods, and Cactus pear cladodes mixed (ACM) at the ratio of 2:1 as a supplement were used during the three months of growth phase. Fresh Acacia albida leaves and Cactus pear cladodes were collected from plants in Haramaya University campus. Fresh leaves of the Acacia were harvested from available trees regardless of the plants age, trimmed with its pods, spread thinly on plastic sheet under shade and turned regularly to ensure uniform drying for safe storage. Likewise, the cactus cladodes were hand chopped into pieces or strips to an approximate size of 5 cm for ease of feeding and drying and spread thinly on plastic sheet under shade and dried.
The same natural pasture hay used during growth phase and haricot bean haulms mixed in the ratio of 50:50 were used as a basal diet during the finishing phase [
The lambs were blocked into six groups based on initial body weight. Lambs in a block were randomly as- signed to one of the four dietary groups making a total of six lambs in each group. Thus, a randomized com- plete block design (RCBD) was employed. The initial body weight of the experimental animals was determined by two consecutive weighing after overnight withdrawal of feed and the average of the two days were taken. After the completion of the growth experiment, the animals were used for finishing phase with no change of groups.
During the growth phase, the treatments were based on the amount of dried Acacia albida leaf and pod and Cactus pear cladodes mixture supplement at the ratio of 2:1, respectively. The level of supplement feeding was at the rate of 0ACM (the control groups did not get any supplement, only the basal diet), 0.9ACM (Supplementation with Acacia albida and Cactus pear cladodes mixture at a rate of 0.9% body weight), 1.2ACM and 1.5ACM. Hay was offered ad libitum at 20% refusal rate. Treatments during the finishing phase were different proportions of roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratio, which included 60R:40C, 50R:50C, 40R:60C, and 30R: 70C. The proportion of roughage to concentrate was determined from animals’ ad libitum intake on dry matter basis, which was adjusted every four days. In both phases feed was offered in two equal meals.
After the completion of stall feeding, all experimental animals were fasted overnight with access to water and then slaughtered. The dressed carcass of each lamb was chilled at 4˚C in a refrigerator for 24 hrs. Cold carcass was suspended with hind legs on hock gambre of constant width (20 cm) and the following carcass linear measurements were recorded using tape in centimeter. Carcass length (from the basis of the tail to the basis of the neck), hind leg length (the smallest distance of the tarsal-metatarsal articular surface), anterior and posterior buttock circumference of thorax (measured horizontally around the buttock at the level of the maximum width of the trochantor and the caudal insertion, respectively), chest depth (from the sternum to the thoracic vertebra), and buttock and shoulder width (at the level of the scapula from one lateral surface to the other). Thereafter, the cold carcass was split in to two equal halves along the dorsal mid-line using a hand saw. The left half of each carcass was dissected into lean, fat, bone and used to estimate the whole composition.
Samples of feed offered, refusals, and feces were ground to pass a 1 mm sieve mesh kept in air tight plastic bags pending analysis. DM, OM, and Nitrogen (N) were determined according to the procedures of previous work [
The data subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using the general linear model procedure of [
The CP content of the natural pasture hay is at the borderline of minimum CP needed for maintenance requirements of ruminant animals while NDF and ADF were high (
Treatment groups did not differ in carcass linear measurements, except for anterior buttock circumference (ABC) and chest depth (CD) (
Parameters | Chemical composition | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DM | OM | CP | NDF | ADF | ADL | |
Growth phase | ||||||
Natural pasture hay | 90.7 | 90.0 | 7.8 | 67.6 | 33.2 | 21.5 |
Acacia albida | 91.2 | 89.8 | 12.0 | 52.5 | 32.0 | 9.80 |
Cactus cladodes | 90.3 | 82.0 | 5.99 | 23.3 | 15.0 | 2.40 |
2Acacia:1Cactus | 90.7 | 84.7 | 11.0 | 35.7 | 21.5 | 4.20 |
Finishing phase | ||||||
Natural pasture hay | 90.7 | 90.0 | 7.8 | 67.6 | 33.2 | 21.5 |
Haricot bean haulms | 91.3 | 90.1 | 6.7 | 62.1 | 38.9 | 7.00 |
Wheat bran | 89.2 | 85.9 | 17.7 | 39.5 | 11.6 | 2.10 |
CSM | 91.8 | 80.8 | 28.0 | 34.9 | 30.9 | 7.70 |
NSM | 91.0 | 89.2 | 40.0 | 41.9 | 15.2 | 8.30 |
Concentrate mixture | 90.5 | 85.0 | 18.5 | 39.1 | 17.4 | 6.70 |
DM = Dry matter; OM = Organic matter; CP = Crude protein; NDF = Neutral detergent fiber; ADF = Acid detergent fiber; ADL = Acid detergent lignin; CSM = cotton seed meal; NSM = noug seed meal.
phases improved the circumference of anterior buttock and depth of the chest. This is in line with [
Percentage of lean, bone, and meat to bone ratio was not impacted (p > 0.05) by the different feeding regimes (
Parameters (cm) | Dietary treatments* | SEM | p-value | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0ACM/60R:40C | 0.9ACM/50R:50C | 1.2ACM/40R:60C | 1.5ACM/30R:70C | |||
Carcass length | 54.8 | 56.5 | 52.5 | 58.0 | 1.64 | 0.1468 |
Leg length | 32.7 | 34.0 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 0.96 | 0.9729 |
PBC | 49.5 | 50.3 | 55.0 | 49.2 | 1.44 | 0.0539 |
ABC | 36.9b | 33.5b | 36.7b | 42.5a | 0.58 | 0.0001 |
Buttock width | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 0.76 | 0.6071 |
Shoulder width | 8.75 | 8.78 | 8.71 | 9.42 | 0.52 | 0.7500 |
Chest depth | 22.8b | 24.6ab | 24.5ab | 26.8a | 0.71 | 0.0153 |
Means in a row with different superscript are significant at p < 0.05; PBC = Posterior buttock circumference; ABC = Anterior buttock circumference; *Growth phase treatments are based on Acacia albida and Cactus pear cladodes mixture (ACM) supplementation at a ratio of 2 to 1, respectively; 0ACM = no supplement, control; 0.9ACM = supplementation at a rate of 0.9% body weight; 1.2ACM = 1.2% body weight; 1.5ACM = 1.5% body weight, and finishing phase treatments are based on roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratio: 60R:40C (60% roughage and 40% concentrate feeding); 50R:50C; 40R:60C; 30R:70C.
Parameters | Dietary treatments* | SEM | p-value | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0ACM/60R:40C | 0.9ACM/50R:50C | 1.2ACM/40R:60C | 1.5ACM/30R:70C | |||
Lean (%) | 62.3 | 58.1 | 58.1 | 56.1 | 2.42 | 0.5417 |
Bone (%) | 22.5 | 26.7 | 21.2 | 20.6 | 1.96 | 0.1596 |
Fat (%) | 15.2b | 16.3ab | 20.6ab | 23.3a | 1.59 | 0.0085 |
Meat: bone | 3.8 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.37 | 0.1412 |
Means in a row with different superscript are significant at p < 0.05; *Growth phase treatments are based on Acacia albida and Cactus pear cladodes mixture (ACM) supplementation at a ratio of 2 to 1, respectively; 0ACM = no supplement, control; 0.9ACM = supplementation at a rate of 0.9% body weight; 1.2ACM = 1.2% body weight; 1.5ACM = 1.5% body weight, and finishing phase treatments are based on roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratio: 60R:40C (60% roughage and 40% concentrate feeding); 50R:50C; 40R:60C; 30R:70C.
with earlier studies [
The experiment was conducted to assess the effects of feeding regimes on the compositions and carcass linear measurements of Blackhead Ogaden sheep. The result of this study revealed that except the fat content which was greater for lambs fed 1.5ACM/30R:70C diet, all the carcass composition parameters did not impact due to the different feeding regimes. Moreover, sheep fed at higher level of foliage supplementation during the growth phase and higher proportion of concentrate during the finishing phase showed wider anterior buttock circumferences and longer chest depth.
Fasil Negussie,Mengistu Urge,Yosef Mekasha,Getachew Animut, (2015) Effect of Feeding Regimes on Measurements of Carcass Dimensional and Proximate Composition of Blackhead Ogaden Sheep. Open Access Library Journal,02,1-7. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1101589