Rumen degradation of elephant grass supplemented with graded levels of perennial peanut by West African Dwarf sheep

• Main Authors: Tchinda B, Wegad D, Njwe R.M
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: 1994
• Subjects: alimentacion complementaria; alimentation complementaire; arachis glabrata; chemical composition; composicion quimica; composition chimique; degradacion; degradation; ovin; ovinos; pennisetum purpureum; rumen; sheep; supplementary feeding
• ISBN: 929053284X; 9789290532842

The effect of 0, 10, 20 and 30 percent supplementation of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) with perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata) on rumen degradability of dry matter was investigated in a factorial trial involving 4 treatments, 5 incubation periods, 3 animals and 2 nylon-bag samples per animal per incubation period. Three rumen-fistulated West African Dwarf ewes of 24 months of age and weighing an average of 18 kg were used. Samples were incubated in the rumen of sheep for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours. Dry and organic-matter degradation (DM and OM) increased significantly when the legume fraction in the ration was raised from 0 to 20 percent. Further increase in legume fraction to 30 percent of the ration did not result in significant increases in DM and OM degradability. There was also a significant increase in DM and OM degradability of all rations when incubation time in the rumen was increased from 6 to 48 hours. Degradability of DM was 34 percent for elephant grass alone and 42, 43 and 46 percent, respectively, for rations containing 10, 20 and 30 percent legume after 48 hours' incubation, there was no significant increase in DM and OM degradability. The estimates of the immediate soluble fraction (a) and the rate of degradability (c) increased with increase in the level of legume in the ration. The lag time necessary for the microbial population to invade the feed also reduced as the level of legume in the diet was raised.