The utilization by domestic ruminants in Botswana of treatment diets containing cereal crop stovers treated with urea or urea and molasses

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Date
2007-03
Authors
Letso, Moagi
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The studies were aimed at examining the effects of treatment with urea or urea and molasses on the physical and chemical composition of stovers of sorghum, maize and millet and assessing the potential of these treated cereal crop stovers as additional feed for domestic ruminants in Botswana. The trials were carried out at Sebele, Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA), Botswana. Sebele is situated at 24º 33'S and 25º 57'E and is at an altitude of 994 m above sea level. Cereal crop stovers were ground in a hammer mill and treated with 10 g urea/kg stover (T1), 25 g urea/kg stover (T2) or 10 g urea + 10 g molasses/kg stover (T3) for 3 weeks. The experimental design for the treatment of the cereal crop stovers was a 3 x 4 completely randomized factorial design [3 cereal crop stovers and 3 treatment methods (T1, T2, T3) plus untreated]. Samples of cereal crop stovers untreated or treated with T1, T2 or T3 were obtained and analysed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD). The physical changes on the cereal crop stovers due to treatments were noted. Six steers, four of which were fitted with rumen cannulae, and six goats and six sheep were used in a crossover experiment to evaluate the utilisation of treatment diets containing stovers of sorghum, maize and millet treated with T1, T2 or T3. The animals were kept in individual pens and fed a basal diet of veld grass hay plus a commercially available feed, namely Pen-feed. Each animal had unrestricted access to water and a mineral lick and were adapted to the respective treatment diets for 14 days, followed by 7-day sampling periods The data collected included the feed intake and digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF. Data were also obtained on metabolisable energy (ME) intake, average daily gains and the pH and ammonia concentration of rumen fluid. Treatment with T1, T2 and T3 increased the CP, NDF, ADF, ADL and IVDMD of the cereal crop stovers. The mean CP (g/kg DM) of cereal crop stovers increased from 69.75 (untreated) to 99.94, 112.63, and 110.50 when treated with T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Significant improvements in the total intake of DM and CP by steers compared to the Control diet were observed when feeding cereal crop stovers treated with T2 and T3. The improvements in the intake and nutrient digestibility coefficients when providing some treatment diets containing the treated stovers are comparable to those obtained when offering lucerne hay which implies that these treatment diets may be suitable replacements for lucerne hay. However, the treatment diets did not significantly improve the average daily gain and metabolic body weights of the steers, goats and sheep. Therefore, treatment diets containing stovers of sorghum, maize or millet treated with T1, T2 or T3 used in the present study are recommended for maintenance rather than production purposes.
Afrikaans: Hierdie studies het ondersoek ingestel na die invloed van behandeling met ureum of ureum en melasse op die fisiese en chemiese samestelling van oesreste van sorghum, mielies en boermanna (millet) asook ‘n bepaling van die potensiaal van hierdie behandelde graanoesreste as bykomende voerbronne vir gedomestikeerde herkouers in Botswana. Die studie is op Sebele by die Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) in Botswana uitgevoer. Sebele is geleë op 24º 33'S en 25º 57'E op ‘n hoogte van 994 m bo seevlak. Die graanoesreste is deur ‘n hamermeul gemaal en behandel met 10 g ureum/kg oesreste (T1), 25 g ureum/kg oesreste (T2) of 10 g ureum + 10 g melasse/kg oesreste (T3) vir drie weke. Die proefuitlag vir die behandeling van die graanoesreste was ‘n 3 x 4 volledige faktoriaal ontwerp [3 graanoesreste en 3 behandelingsmetodes (T1, T2, T3) plus onbehandeld]. Monsters van die onbehandelde graanoesreste en ook die wat behandel was met T1, T2 of T3 is versamel en ontleed vir droë materiaal (DM), organiese materiaal (OM), ruproteïen (RP), neutraalbestande vesel (NDF), suurbestande vesel (ADF), suurbestande lignien (ADL) en in vitro DM verteerbaarheid (IVDMD). Die fisiese verandering van die graanoesreste as gevolg van die drie behandelings is aangeteken. Ses osse, waarvan vier toegerus was met rumenkannules, en ses bokke en ses skape is in ‘n omslagproefontwerp gebruik vir die evaluering van die benutting van die proefdiëte wat graanoesreste van sorghum, mielies en boermanna (millet) wat met T1, T2 of T3 behandel is. Die diere is individueel in krale gehuisves en die basale dieet van die diere het bestaan uit veldgrashooi plus ’n kommersieel beskikbare voerbron, naamlik “Pen-feed”. Elke dier het vrye toegang tot water en ’n mineralelek gehad en is oor ’n periode van 14 dae aangepas op die onderskeie behandelingsdiëte, gevolg deur ’n kolleksieperiode van sewe dae. Data is versamel ten opsigte van inname en verteerbaarheid koefisiënte van DM, OM, RP, NDF en ADF. Data is ook versamel ten opsigte van ME inname, gemiddelde daaglikse toenames en die pH en ammonium konsentrasies van rumenvloeistof. Behandeling met T1, T2 en T3 het die RP, NDF, ADF, ADL en IVDMD van die graanoesreste verhoog. Die gemiddelde RP (g/kg DM) van die graanoesreste is verhoog vanaf die 69.75 (onbehandelde materiaal) tot 99.94, 112.63 en 110.50 na behandeling met T1, T2 en T3 onderskeidelik. Betekenisvolle verhogings in die totale inname van DM en RP deur osse vergeleke met die Kontrole dieet is waargeneem wanneer die diëte graanoesreste bevat het wat met T2 en T3 behandel was. Die verhogings in inname en voedingstofverteerbaarheid wanneer sommige proefdiëte wat behandelde graanoesreste bevat het aan diere gevoer is, was vergelykbaar met lusernhooi. Dit dui daarop dat hierdie behandelde graanoesreste geskikte vervangings vir lusernhooi mag wees. Die proefdiëte het egter nie die gemiddelde daaglikse toename en metaboliese gewigte van die osse, bokke en skape betekenisvol verbeter nie. Derhalwe word aanbeveel dat die proefdiëte soos in hierdie studie gebruik deur graanoesreste van sorghum, mielies of boermanna (millet) met T1, T2 of T3 te behandel, vir onderhoud van diere eerder dan produksiedoeleindes gebruik word.
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Keywords
Ruminants -- Feeding and feeds, Ruminants -- Feed utilization efficiency -- Botswana, Crop residues as feed -- Botswana, Thesis (Ph.D. (Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences))--University of the Free State, 2007
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