ABSTRACT

A 120 day feeding trial was conducted to assess the feed value and utilization ofPanicum maximum (PM) and Pennisetum purpureum (PP) by pregnant WAD ewes. The nine inewes, in their first pregnancy, averaging 12 months and 11.16 kg of age and weight respectively, were divided into 3 equal groups of 3 animals per group and subjected to 3 different nutritional regimens in a Completely Randomized Design. Diets B and C constituted forage grasses PM and PP respectively while diet A was a 13.5% CP concentrate diet formulated from maize and wheat offals, palm kernel cake, bone meal and salt. The diets were offered to the experimental animals in a cafeteria arrangement. The three animal groups (1-3) received 600gm of the concentrate diet (A) per animal at 09:00hrs daily while groups 2 and 3, in addition, were fed 1 kg of fresh PM and PP respectively at 12:00hrs daily clean water was offered adlibitum. Parameters investigated were weight gain, blood profile and apparent nutrient digestibility of the diets. Results showed that average daily feed intake (g/d) (ADFI) was highest for treatment 2 (912.41) and this differed significantly (P<0.05) from values obtained for treatmentsl (557.70) and 3 (855.41). Average daily weight gain (g/d) (ADWG) was highest for treatment 3 (55.83), followed by treatments 2 (35.25) and 1 (25.56); these values differed (P<0.05) significantly. Feed conversion ratio was least for ewes supplemented with PP (15.32). The corresponding values for ewes supplemented with PM (25.88) and those fed solely on concentrate diet (21 82) were similar (P>0.05) but differed (P<0.05) from that of treatment3. Haematological and biochemical blood profile of non pregnant ewes fell within normal range. However packed cell volume (%), red blood cell (xlOG/pl) and white blood cell (xl03/pl) haematological values for pregnant ewes were influenced by dietary regimen. The values were 1.73, 1.37, 1.77; 26.0, 23.67, 28.0 and 3.23, 3.23, 3.43 for treatments 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Serum biochemical profile of the pregnant ewes differed significantly (P<0.05) for total bilirubin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), total protein, urea and creatinine. Digestibility coefficients (%) differed (P<0.05) for dry matter (DM), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen free extract (NFE) and ash DM and EE were best digested in treatment 1 with digestibility coefficients of 85.65 and 94 66, respectively; so were CF (89.67), EE (95.19) and NFE (93.04) in treatment 2 and CF (90.17) and NFE (93 54) in treatment 3. Generally pregnant ewes fed concentrate diet with PM and PP supplementation had enhanced body weight relative to those fed only on concentrate diet. However, PP supplemented in-ewes had superior ADWG, stable blood profile and high apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients