UTILIZATION OF DIETARY MINERAL SALT BY SHEEP IN SEMI-ARID ENVIRONMENT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of dietary mineral salt (potash) in the feeding of uda sheep in a semi-arid environment. The trial was conducted in two phases which included questionnaire administration in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve, purposively selected for it predominance of pastoralists. One hundred were randomly selected from the list of one hundred and fifty pastoralists collected. Feeding trial using sixteen growing uda lambs in a randomized complete block design was conducted. A complete diet was formulated and divided into four treatments A (control) without dietary mineral salt while treatments B, C and D contained potash at 1.25; 2.50 and 3.75kg/100/diet respectively. The animals were fed for the period of nine weeks in which daily records of feed and water intakes were kept. A three week digestibility trial was conducted, faecal samples were collected. Results obtained from this experiment showed that majority (91.0%) of the respondents had 1-20 years experience in sheep keeping. They acquired their foundation stock from inheritance and purchase and also majority (76.0%) of the flock owners were husbands. Most (64.0%) of respondents used common salt, and the quantity of dietary mineral salt used by the pastoralists in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve is 2.5kg /100kg/ diet. Findings of the second trial revealed that feed intake and live weight gain increased with increasing level of dietary mineral salt. Dry matter and nutrient intake, live weight gain (LWG) and growth rate followed the same pattern as feed intake. The average daily gain obtained from this ranged from 17.86-75.40g/day with the highest value (75.40g) in those fed diet D, this group also had the best growth performance, least cost of feed/kg LWG, highest dry matter intake, average daily gain and water intake which increased linearly with increase in inclusion level of mineral in diets. There were no significant differences between treatment means in terms of nutrient digestibilities except organic matter digestibility which differed significantly between treatment means. Results from this study showed that farmers were yet to exploit minerals to the maximum tolerable by uda sheep as they used 2.5kg rather than 3.75kg/100kg diet. It was therefore recommended that 3.75kg/100kg diet should be used by pastoralists, and animal breeders since it gave the best result in terms of profit and weight gain. ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of dietary mineral salt (potash) in the feeding of uda sheep in a semi-arid environment. The trial was conducted in two phases which included questionnaire administration in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve, purposively selected for it predominance of pastoralists. One hundred were randomly selected from the list of one hundred and fifty pastoralists collected. Feeding trial using sixteen growing uda lambs in a randomized complete block design was conducted. A complete diet was formulated and divided into four treatments A (control) without dietary mineral salt while treatments B, C and D contained potash at 1.25; 2.50 and 3.75kg/100/diet respectively. The animals were fed for the period of nine weeks in which daily records of feed and water intakes were kept. A three week digestibility trial was conducted, faecal samples were collected. Results obtained from this experiment showed that majority (91.0%) of the respondents had 1-20 years experience in sheep keeping. They acquired their foundation stock from inheritance and purchase and also majority (76.0%) of the flock owners were husbands. Most (64.0%) of respondents used common salt, and the quantity of dietary mineral salt used by the pastoralists in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve is 2.5kg /100kg/ diet. Findings of the second trial revealed that feed intake and live weight gain increased with increasing level of dietary mineral salt. Dry matter and nutrient intake, live weight gain (LWG) and growth rate followed the same pattern as feed intake. The average daily gain obtained from this ranged from 17.86-75.40g/day with the highest value (75.40g) in those fed diet D, this group also had the best growth performance, least cost of feed/kg LWG, highest dry matter intake, average daily gain and water intake which increased linearly with increase in inclusion level of mineral in diets. There were no significant differences between treatment means in terms of nutrient digestibilities except organic matter digestibility which differed significantly between treatment means. Results from this study showed that farmers were yet to exploit minerals to the maximum tolerable by uda sheep as they used 2.5kg rather than 3.75kg/100kg diet. It was therefore recommended that 3.75kg/100kg diet should be used by pastoralists, and animal breeders since it gave the best result in terms of profit and weight gain. ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of dietary mineral salt (potash) in the feeding of uda sheep in a semi-arid environment. The trial was conducted in two phases which included questionnaire administration in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve, purposively selected for it predominance of pastoralists. One hundred were randomly selected from the list of one hundred and fifty pastoralists collected. Feeding trial using sixteen growing uda lambs in a randomized complete block design was conducted. A complete diet was formulated and divided into four treatments A (control) without dietary mineral salt while treatments B, C and D contained potash at 1.25; 2.50 and 3.75kg/100/diet respectively. The animals were fed for the period of nine weeks in which daily records of feed and water intakes were kept. A three week digestibility trial was conducted, faecal samples were collected. Results obtained from this experiment showed that majority (91.0%) of the respondents had 1-20 years experience in sheep keeping. They acquired their foundation stock from inheritance and purchase and also majority (76.0%) of the flock owners were husbands. Most (64.0%) of respondents used common salt, and the quantity of dietary mineral salt used by the pastoralists in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve is 2.5kg /100kg/ diet. Findings of the second trial revealed that feed intake and live weight gain increased with increasing level of dietary mineral salt. Dry matter and nutrient intake, live weight gain (LWG) and growth rate followed the same pattern as feed intake. The average daily gain obtained from this ranged from 17.86-75.40g/day with the highest value (75.40g) in those fed diet D, this group also had the best growth performance, least cost of feed/kg LWG, highest dry matter intake, average daily gain and water intake which increased linearly with increase in inclusion level of mineral in diets. There were no significant differences between treatment means in terms of nutrient digestibilities except organic matter digestibility which differed significantly between treatment means. Results from this study showed that farmers were yet to exploit minerals to the maximum tolerable by uda sheep as they used 2.5kg rather than 3.75kg/100kg diet. It was therefore recommended that 3.75kg/100kg diet should be used by pastoralists, and animal breeders since it gave the best result in terms of profit and weight gain.