Feed Intake, Digestibility and Growth Performance of o f Horro Lambs Fed Natural Pasture Hay Supplemented Graded Level of o Vernonia Amygdalina Leaves and nd Sorghum Grain Mixture

Abstract

This study was undertaken with the objectives of evaluating the effect of dried and ground Vernonia (V. amygdalina) leaves and ground sorghum (S. bicolor) grain mixture supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, body weight change, feed conversion efficiency and of Horro lambs fed natural pasture hay. The feeding and digestibility trials were conducted using twenty male Horro lambs of similar yearling age and body weight (15.4±0.58kg). The lambs were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments independent of the blocks and replicated five times. Treatment 1 was fed on grass hay alone, while treatments 2, 3, and 4 received dried and ground Vernonia leaves (150, 300 and 450g, respectively) mixed with ground sorghum grain mixture on grass hay basal diet for 90 days. The dry matter intake (DMI) of the lambs for vernonia leaves and sorghum grain mixture was about 28%, 27% and 40% of the total DMI of treatment 2, 3 and 4; which was higher in T4 (p<0.01). Lambs fed hay only gained lower body weight, while those lambs supplemented with vernonia leaves and sorghum grain mixture gained higher body weights (p<0.01). The digestibilities of CP ere highly significant in T4 (p<0.01). While DM and OM were higher (p<0.05) for lambs received T2 and T4 compared to T1 and T3. Correspondingly, the ADG of the lambs in T4 was higher than those in T3, T2, and T1 (p<0.01). Vernonia leaves and sorghum grain mixture were found to be good supplement to the hay diet; however, feeding vernonia leaves at T4 could increase the utilization of nutrients with higher growth performance of lambs compared to T3.