- Title
- Effect of increasing fossil shell flour levels on digestive and metabolic utilization, health, body weight change and wool production, and quality in Dohne-Merino wethers
- Creator
- Ikusika, Olusegun Oyebade
- Subject
- Merino sheep Sheep -- Quality
- Date
- 2020
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Doctoral
- Type
- PhD
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18465
- Identifier
- vital:42542
- Description
- The study's broad objective was to assess growth performance, blood and parasitic profiles, wool parameters, methane emission, and nutritional status of Dohne-Merino wethers fed diets supplemented with varying levels of fossil shell flour. Twenty-four Dohne-Merino wethers, averagely weighing 20.0±1.50 kg, were divided into four groups and used in this study. The effects of varying inclusion levels of fossil shell flour (FSF) (0, 2, 4, and 6 %) on feed intake, water intake, nutrient digestibility, N-retention, hematobiochemical and parasitic profiles, body condition scores, feed preference, wool parameters and methane output were determined. The influence of FSF's varying inclusion levels on fermentation parameters, in vitro true digestibility, and relative feed values were also determined. Wethers fed with 4% FSF inclusion level diet showed the highest (P<0.05) values for dry matter intake, average daily weight gain, N retention, (Nitrogen retention) and apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), Ether Extract (EE) and Ash 6 % (P < 0.05). The urinary N and fecal N were lowest in wethers fed 4% FSF inclusion level and highest in those fed on diets without FSF (P < 0.05). Water intake was highest in wethers fed 0% FSF diet, followed by those fed on 4% and lowest in 6% FSF (P< 0.05). There was a significant increase in white blood cell counts in wethers fed on a diet with 4% and 6% FSF inclusion levels from day 10 to 100 compared to wethers fed on a diet with 0% and 2% FSF (P <0.05). Red blood cell counts also increased significantly in wethers fed on a diet containing 4% FSF, but a slight increase in wethers with 6 % FSF diet, throughout the experimental period (P < 0.05). Blood urea was highest in wethers fed 0% FSF inclusion level and lowest in 6% at day 30 to day 100. Wethers on 4% FSF diet showed an increase in blood urea from day 30 to day 100 (P < 0.05) while wethers on 0% and 2% remained unchanged (P<0.05) during this period and not different (P > 0.05) from wethers on 4% FSF as well. The total protein concentration, albumin, total bilirubin, Na, K, glucose, cholesterol, and liver enzymes were normal for wethers. However, serum creatinine level was lower in wethers fed on 4% FSF than those on 0% FSF (P < 0.01). Haemonchus and Coccidian fecal egg counts were low in wethers fed diets with 2%, 4%, and 6 % FSF (P < 0.01) compared 11 with wethers fed with 0% FSF inclusion level during the same period. The body condition score of wethers fed on diets with 2%, 4%, and 6% FSF inclusion levels were higher than those on 0% (P < 0.05). Wool yield, staple length, the coefficient variation of the fibre diameter, and fibre of wethers fed on diets with FSF were higher than those without FSF (P < 0.05). The fibre diameter of the wethers fed on FSF supplemented diets was the same as those on 0 % FSF (P > 0.05). The wethers spent more time on FSF supplemented diets and consumed more feed compared to that without FSF supplemented (P < 0.05). The levels of FSF inclusion in the diet affected the enteric methane output (ppm-m), where 4 % FSF had the highest enteric methane output while wethers on 2 % FSF had the lowest methane output (P < 0.05). Resting wethers produced more methane (g/day) than those feeding or standing (P < 0.05). Increasing levels of FSF did not affect ruminal temperature and pH. Ammonia-N increased with increasing FSF except in wethers fed on a diet with 4% FSF (P < 0.01). The total molar concentrations of the wethers' volatile fatty acids decreased with increasing FSF levels (P > 0.05). The acetic propionic ratio of the wethers also decreased except at a 4% inclusion level. The in vitro true digestibility dry matter (IVTDDM), in vitro true digestibility neutral detergent fibre (IVTDNDF), and in vitro true digestibility acid detergent fibre (IVTDADF) of the wethers decreased up to 4% FSF inclusion but tended to increase at 6% inclusion. This study's result as one of the pioneer studies in Dohne-Marino wethers showed that FSF treatment has the potential to improve the nutritional status of the animal and the animal performance and wool quality. Health-wise, FSF decrease nematode population and boost animal immunity as seen in RBC and WBC counts. It also can play a major role in protecting the environment, as seen in its reduction in feacal and urinary nitrogen, which is heavily involved in environmental pollution. Result also confirmed that the best period to target for methane mitigation in ruminants is the resting period. In conclusion, the inclusion of FSF in the diet of Dohne-Merino wethers has the potential to improve the overall performance, with a 4% FSF inclusion level having optimal productivity. However, future research is required to investigate FSF's effect on meat quality, rumen microbial community, in-vivo digestibility, and milk production.
- Format
- 233 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science and Agriculture
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
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UFH Department of Livestock & Pasture Science
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | Final Thesis IKUSIKA GRADUATION Dec2020.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |