Effect of roughage to concentrate ratio of sweet sorghum (Sorghum biclor L. Moench) bagasse-based complete diet on nutrient utilization and microbial N supply in lambs

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2012-10, Vol.44 (7), p.1717-1724
• Main Authors: Nalini Kumari, Nagireddy, Ramana Reddy, Yerradoddi, Blummel, Michel, Nagalakshmi, Devanaboyina, Sudhakar, Khaja, Ravinder Reddy, Vangur, Monika, Thamatam, Pavani, Mitta, Sudhakara Reddy, Marrivada, Reddy, Belum Venkata Subba, Ravinder Reddy, Chintalapani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Bagasse; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calcium; Cellulose - metabolism; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Fiber - metabolism; Diets; Digestibility; Digestion; Dry matter; Energy; Ethers; Fibers; Life Sciences; Male; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nitrogen - urine; Nitrogen balance; Nutrient utilization; Nutrients; Nutritive Value; Original Research; Phosphorus; purines; Roughage; Rumen - microbiology; Rumen - physiology; Sheep, Domestic - growth & development; Sheep, Domestic - physiology; Sorghum; Sweet taste; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-012-0129-x

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of roughage to the concentrate ratio of complete diets containing sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB), an agro-industrial by product, as sole roughage source on nutrient utilization in ram lambs. Twenty-four Nellore × Deccani cross ram lambs aged about 3 months (average body wt. 10.62 ± 0.03 kg) were randomly allotted into four groups fed with CR-I (60R:40C), CR-II (50R:50C), CR-III (40R:60C), and CR-IV (30R:70C) complete diets. The roughage to concentrate ratio did not affect the dry matter intake (in grams/day or grams/kilogram weight 0.75 ). The crude protein ( P