FEED INTAKE, APPARENT NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND GROWTH 2 PERFORMANCE OF FINISHING ASSAF LAMBS FED BY- PRODUCTS SILAGE

Abstract

Effects of silage (S) made of a mixure of different by-products on growth performance and 23 nutrient digestibility were studied in 24 male Assaf lambs of 35.0 ± 0.110 kg initial body 24 weight. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups of 6 lambs each. Lambs were 25 individually fed a fixed amount of concentrate along with by-products silage as total mixed 26 ration (TMR). The by-products silage (S) replaced 0, 50, 75 and 100% of wheat straw (i.e.270S, 50S, 75S and 100S). Silage was prepared from a mixure of olive cake (OC), tomato wastes 28 (TW) and poultry litter (PL) at levels of 700, 100 and 200 g/kg DM, respectively. All diets 29 were isonitrogenous and isoenergic. A digestion trial was performed during the last week of the 30 feeding trial. All lambs were slaughtered at the termination of the 70d feeding study. Results 31 showed that lambs fed the 75S and 100S diets had lower (P < 0.05) feed intake and better (32P < 0.05) feed conversion ratios (FC) compared to lambs fed the 0S and 50S diets. Silage (33i.e., 100S) increased (P < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADF), 34 neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) and fat. These results show the positive effects of silage, made 35 prepared from local by-products, when used at high levels on most tested parameters. 36