Effects of Different Feed Supplements on Nutrient Intake, Body Weight Gain and Economic Feasibility of Grazing Abera Sheep

Abstract

The study was carried out in Darra district of Abera Gelede village in Abera sheep type improvement substation with the aims of investigating the effects of supplementing concentrate and urea molasses feed block /UMB/ on intake and body weight gain of grazing Abera sheep. Thirty two yearling male Abera sheep with mean initial body weight of 21.93 ± 0.23 kg (mean ±SE) were taken from six Abera sheep improvement member co-operatives. The experiment was conducted using a complete randomized block design with four treatment diets and eight replications. The sheep were blocked based on their initial body weight into eight blocks and each of the four treatment diets were randomly assigned to each animal in each block. Dietary treatments comprised of T(1)= grazing control; T(2), wheat bran 66 %: noug seed cake 33 % and 1% salt; T(3), wheat bran 66 %: cotton seed cake 33 % and 1% salt, and (T4), urea molasses feed -block (wheat bran 25%, molasses 36%, cement 10%, noug seed cake 13%, urea 10%, salt 3% and limestone 3%).