E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development

E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development Vol. 8 (1) pp. 001-007, March 2018; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2276-9897
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18685/EJARD(8)1_EJARD-17-013

Evaluation of the effects of concentrate supplementation on carcass merits of Farta sheep

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Debre Tabor University research center with the main objective of to evaluate the carcass merits of Farta sheep and to evaluate the effect of concentrated feed on carcass quality of Farta sheep fed on different concentrated mixture and hay as basal diet. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and five replications. Blocking was based on the initial body weight of sheep. Twenty five Farta sheep with yearling age and average initial was 21.45 kg used for the feeding trial were randomly assigned to five treatments. The treatments were hay allow (T1),100% wheat bran +basal hay (T2), 67% wheat bran and 33% NSC +basal hay (T3), 67% NSC and 33% wheat bran +basal hay(T4) and 100% NSC + basal hay. Feed offers and refusals for feeding trials were recorded daily, while body weight change of sheep during the feeding trial was recorded every fifteen days. The chemical compositions of the experimental feeds indicated that the NSC allow with basal diet was highest than (30.57%) other treatments and 66.7% wheat bran and 33.3% NSC (23.83%), 33.3% wheat bran and 66.7% NSC (29.20%) CP contents, respectively. Feeding of Farta sheep cows with NSC resulted in significantly (p<0.05) lower daily dry matter intake (1.85kg/sheep, but higher daily weight gain (57.4g/day) when compared with those sheep fed on basal hay. Dressing percentage as proportion was greater (P<0.05) for animals supplemented with 67.3% NSC and 33.7% (48.04%) of wheat bran with hay as basal diet (35.51%). The juiciness score of loin samples from NSC and wheat bran fed the 90% was higher (p < 0.05) than fed others treatments. Hence, according to the results of this study feeding of yearling Farta sheep with feed 66.7% wheat bran and 33.3% NSC and 33.3% wheat bran and 66.7% NSC was efficient for both biologically as compared to other treatments. For farther research we recommended that to determine the level of concentrated feed added in basal diet of yearling farta sheep for maximum body conformation.

Keywords: yearling weight, ripe eye area, quality meat, carcass