Evaluation of The Effects of Alfalfa Removal and Forage Reduction on Performance of Afshari Breeding Lambs

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

• zahra mahbobi
• naser karimi
• Abbas Jahanbakhshi

Department of Animal Sciences , , Faculty of Agriculture ,Islamic Azad University of Varamin – Pishva

10.22067/ijasr.2022.73295.1049

Abstract

Introduction: Stall-fed lambs, which account for the bulk of mutton production, are one of the main sources of red meat supply in the country. In order to achieve optimal and economical production, sheep breeders must take into account the nutritional needs, food quality and dietary intake time in the diet plan of livestock. However, due to the shortage of forage and pastures in Iran, stockbreeders are forced to include more concentrate in the animals’ diet, while trying to carefully observe the concentrate proportions as well as the necessary points associated with concentrate feeding. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of alfalfa removal and reducing forage on the profitability of Afshari fattening lambs.
Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effects of reducing the amount of forage and also removing alfalfa on performance of Afshari breeding lambs, based on a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design, was done on 36 Afshari male lambs, with a mean live weight of 32.53 ± 1.9 kg and a mean age of 93 ± 6.63 days for 90 days. Experimental diets included: 1) 80 Percentage concentrate and 20 Percentage forage (10 Percentage wheat straw and 10 Percentage dry alfalfa), 2) 80 Percentage concentrate and 20 Percentage forage (20 Percentage wheat straw, 0 Percentage dry alfalfa), 3) 90 Percentage concentrate and 10 Percentage forage (5 Percentage wheat straw and 5 Percentage dry alfalfa), and 4) 90 Percentage concentrate and 10 Percentage forage (10 Percentage wheat straw and 0 Percentage dry alfalfa). Experimental diets were adjusted according to NRC (2007) standard diet tables and the constituents of the diets and their nutritional value were similar. The data were analyzed using SPSS21.
Results and Discussion: The chemical composition of diets was changed with altering of the forage to concentrate ratio, and with increasing the concentrate in the diet, the amount of NFC increased and the percentage of NDF decreased. Increasing the concentrate and removing of alfalfa increased feed intake and daily weight gain throughout the period (P <0.05). Increasing of feed consumption seeks higher concentrate intake is due to faster consumption by animal compared to forage intake. On the other hand, the retention time of the concentrate in the abdominal area is less than the fodder. Therefore, the effect of filling after using of forage, limits the consumption of feed. Result indicated no significant differences in digestibility and feed conversion ratio between experimental treatments. The results of this study showed that the dry matter consumption and daily weight gain for treatment four was significantly higher than other treatments. The fourth treatment had a numerically lower food conversion coefficient (6.1) compared to the other three treatments. Accordingly, increasing the concentrate and removing of alfalfa has caused a significant increase in weight throughout the period. Regarding the interaction effects of concentrate and forage on daily weight gain, it also was shown that the most of the daily weight gain obtained followed by increasing of the concentrate level and then the removal of alfalfa. The most important factor affecting daily weight gain is feed consumption. Regarding to the effect of alfalfa reduction on feed intake, it can be stated that by reducing alfalfa, despite not reducing dietary fiber (treatments two and four), other dietary nutrients supplied through alfalfa were supplied through concentrate, which itself increased the digestibility of the ration. The feed conversion ratio of the four treatments was in the same range. The results of economic comparison showed that lambs fed with 90% concentrate, 10% wheat straw and 0% alfalfa had higher yields compared to other groups.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that with increasing the percentage of concentrate and removal of alfalfa from the feed, feed intake increases accordingly. Concentrate is palatable and contains more energy and nutrients than forage. Therefore, lambs fed with diets containing higher concentrate levels and no alfalfa experienced faster growth and higher growth efficiency and produced heavier carcasses. Thanks to this diet, stock breeders can save feeding and breeding costs during seasons when feed is more expensive or insufficient. According to the results, diets containing 90% concentrate, 10% wheat straw and no alfalfa can be suggested for optimal yield in stall-fed lambs.
 

 
 

Keywords

• Afshari lamb
• Alfalfa removal
• Diet
• Fattening
• Profitability

Main Subjects

• Animal Nutrition

---

References

1. Allen, M.S. )2000(. Effects of diet on short-term regulation of feed intake by lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 83(7), 1598 -1624. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(00)75030-2.
2. Abarghani, A., Bojarpour, M., & Fayazi, J. (2010). The effect of replacement sugar beet pulp with barely on performance and carcass characteristics of Moghani male lambs. Iranian Journal of Animal Science Research, 2(2), 125-132. (In Persian).  22067/IJASR.V2I2.4092.
3. AFRC. 1992. Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients. Report No. 9. Nutritive requirements of ruminant animal: protein. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews Series B, 62 (12), 787-835.
4. Agle, M., Hristov, A.N., Zaman, S., Schneider, C.P., Ndegwa, M., Vaddella, V.K. (2010). Effect of dietary concentrate on rumen fermentation, digestibility, and nitrogen losses in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 93(9), 4211-4222. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2977.
5. Aguerre, M.­J., Wattiaux, M.­A., Powell, J.­M., Broderick, G.­A., & Arndt, C. (2011). Effect of forage-to-concentrate ratio in dairy cow diets on emission of methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia, lactation performance, and manure excretion. Journal of Dairy Science, 94(6), 3081-3093. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-4011.
6. Arbabi, S., Ghoorchi, T., Ramezanpour, S. S., & Torbatinejad, N. (2014). Effects of forage to concentrate ratios based on faba bean on fermentation, cellulase enzyme activity, and population of bacteria in rumen sheep. Ph.D. Thesis Faculty of Animal Nutrition, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran.
7. Albayrak, S., Turk, M., Yuksel, O., & Yilmaz, M. (2011). Forage yield and the quality of perennial legume-grass mixtures under rainfed conditions. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 39(1),114-118. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha3915853.
8. AOAC. 2000. Official Methods of Analysis, 17th Edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Arlington, VA, USA.
9. Arjmand, M., Kiani, A., Azarfar, A., Azizi, A., and Fadayifar, A. (2021). Effect of diet concentrate level and fattening period duration on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen parameters in male Lori-Bakhtiari lambs. Animal Production Research, 10(1), 51-63. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.22124/AR.2021.15450.1491.
10. Bingol, N.T., Karsli, M.A., Yilmaz, I.­H., & Bolat, D. (2007). The effects of planting time and combination on the nutrient composition and digestible dry matter yield of four mixtures of vetch varieties intercropped with barley. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 31(5), 297-302. https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/veterinary/vol31/iss5/3.
11. Cantalapiedra-Hijar, G., Yáñez-Ruiz, D.­R., Martín-García, A.I., & Molina-Alcaide, E. (2014). Effects of forage:concentrate ratio and forage type on apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and microbial growth in goats.­ Journal of Animal Science, 87(2), 622-631. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1142.
12. Carruthers, V.R., Neil, P.G., Dalley, D.E. (1997). Effect of altering the non-structural: Structural carbohydrate ratio in a pasture diet on milk production and ruminal metabolites in cows in early and late lactation. Journal of Animal Science, 64(3), 393-402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1357729800015988.
13. Chen, G.J., Song, S.D., Wang, B.X., Zhang, Z.F., Peng, Z.L., Guo, C.H., Zhong, J.C., and Wang, Y. (2015). Effects of forage: Concentrate ratio on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and blood metabolites in housing-feeding yaks. Journal of Animal Sciences. 28(12), 1736–1741. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.0419.
14. Dabiri, N. (1997). Enrichment of woody materials with urea solution and its economic effect on the production capacity of fattening lambs. Ahvaz Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 20, 81-102. (In Persian).
15. Desnoyers, M., Duvaux-Ponter, C., Rigalma, K., Roussel, S., Martin, O., & Giger-Reverdin, S. (2008). Effect of concentrate percentage on ruminal pH and time-budget in dairy goats. Journal of Animal Science, 2(12), 1802-1808. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731108003157.
16. Elizalde, J. C., Cremin, J. D., Faulkner, D. B., & Merchen, N. R. (1998). Perfprmance and digestion by steers grazing tall fescue and supplemented with energy and protein. Journal of Animal Science, 76(6), 1691–1701. https://doi.org/10.2527/1998.7661691x.
17. Gholami, H., & Babaei, M. (2021). Investigating the benefits of using different levels of concentrate in the diet of male Raeinian goat kids. Applied Animal Science Research Journal, 10(38), 41–50. (In Persian). https://doi.org/22092/AASRJ.2021.354271.1231.
18. Haddad, S.G., Ata, M.­A. (2009). Growth performance of lambs fed on diets varying in concentrate and wheat straw. Small Ruminant Research, 81(2), 96-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2008.11.015.
19. Hall, M.B., Larson, C.C., Wilcox, C.J. (2010). Carbohydrate source and protein degradability alter lactation, ruminal, and blood measures. Journal of Dairy Science, 93(1), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2552.
20. Jarrige, Dulphy, J.­P., Faverdin, P., Baumont,­ R. and Demarquilly, C. (1995). The nutrition and activities of digestion and rumination in the domestic ruminants. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, France.
21. Kaki, N., , Kiani, A., Azizi, A. (2019). Interaction effects of concentrate level and duration of fattening period in lambs on in vitro gas production, fermentation parameters, and volatile fatty acid concentration. Iranian Journal of Animal Science, 50(2),159-169. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijas.2019.280988.653702.
22. Kendall, C., Leonardi, C., Hoffman, P.­C., & Combs, D.­K. (2009). Intake and milk production of cows fed diets that differed in dietary neutral detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber digestibility. Journal of Dairy Science, 92(1), 313–323. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1482.
23. .Murphy, M., Akerlind, M., & Holtenius, K. (2000). Rumen fermentation in lactating cows selected for milk fat content fed two forage to concentrate ratios with hay or silage. Journal of Dairy Science, 83)4),756–764. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(00)74938-1.
24. Minor, D.­J., Trower, S.­L., Strang, B.­D., Shaver, R.­D. and Grummer, R.­R. (1998). Effects of non-fiber carbohydrate and niacin on periparturient metabolic status and lactation of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 81,189–200. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(98)75566-3.
25. Nahed, J., Solis, C., Grande, D., sangines, L., Mendoza, G., & Perez-Gill, F. (2003). Evaluation of the use of Buddleia skutchii tree leaves and Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) grass hay in sheep feeding. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 106(4), 209-217. DOI:1016/S0377-8401(03)00061-0.
26. Nik-khah, A., Asadi Moghadam, , Qarbash, M. (1992). The effect of three rations with different levels of energy on fattening performance of Atabai and Zel lamb. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 3, 67-81. (In Persian).
27. Nik-khah, A., Asadi Moghaddam, R. (1986). Study of weight gain, nutritional efficiency and carcass characteristics of Iranian tail and tailless lambs. The Second Fattening Seminar of Moghan Plain, 42-59. (In Persian).
28. NRC. 2007. National Research Council nutrient require ments of small ruminants: sheep, goats. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
29. Papi, N., Tehrani, A. (2017). Effects of dietary concentrate levels on growth performance, feed intake and carcass characteristics of fattening Chall male lambs. Journal of Ruminant Research, 2, 55-57. (In Persian). https://doi.org/22069/ejrr.2017.13361.1556.
30. Parsaei, s., & khadivi, H. (1995). Effect of metabolisable energy content and crude protein on male lamb fattening of Northern Khorasan Kordi sheep. Research and Construction, 8(4):114-119. (In Persian). https://doi.org/ 22092/VJ.1995.112664.
31. Rezaii, F., Danesh Mesgaran, M., Heravi Moussavi, A.(2011). Effects of the source of non-fiber carbohydrates on in vitro first order ruminal disappearance kinetics of dry matter and NDF of various feeds. Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research, 12(2), 222-229. (In Persian). https://doi.org/22099/IJVR.2011.69.
32. Rong,Y., Yuan, F. and Johnson, D.­A. (2014). Addition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to lamb diets enhances production and profits in northern China. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 26,224. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd26/12/rong26224.htm.
33. Van cleef, F. D. O. S., Ezequiel, J. M. B., Aurea, A. P., Aurea, M. T. C., Perez, H. L., & Van clef, E. H. C. (2016). Feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, and feedlot performance, carcass traits, and meat characteristics of crossbred lambs fed high levels of yellow grease or soybean oil. Small Ruminant Research, 137, 151-156. DOI:1016/j.smallrumres.2016.03.012.
34. Van Soest, P.V., Robertson, ­B. and Lewis, B.A. (1991). Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and non-starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74(10), 3583-3597. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(91)78551-2.
35. Van Vleck, L. D. (1993). Selection with more than one trait measured. p. 151-170 in Selection Index and Introduction to Mixed Model CRC Press, Ann Arbor, MI.
36. Zhao, T. Z., Li, H.Y. (2009). Study on ruminal degradation of mainly protein and fiber sources in dairy diets. Contemp Anim Husb, 11,29–32.