EFFECTS OF ENSILLING GROUNDNUTS HAULMS ON FERMENTATION CHARACTERISTICS AND ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF DJALLONKE SHEEP

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to assess the effects of ensiling on fermentation characteristics of groundnut haulms and also to evaluate the effects of conserving groundnut haulm as hay or silage on feed intake, nutrient composition and their effects on the growth performance of West African Dwarf (Djallonké) growing rams. Fresh groundnut haulms were either dried or ensiled in large silo bags and used to formulate two experimental diets. The diets were labeled dried groundnut haulm diet (DGH) and ensiled groundnut haulm diet (EGH). Twenty (20) growing Djallonke rams (14.65 ± 3.17kg) were assigned randomly to individual pens and each animal received a diet (DGH diet or EGH diet) fed for 70 days. Parameters measured where fermentation characteristics (pH, LAB, moulds and yeasts), growth parameters (DMI, IW, FWG, WG, ADG and FCE) and chemical analysis (DM, Ash, CP, EE, ADF, NDF and NH3). Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Data on microbial population were transformed to log10 colony-forming units prior to statistical analysis with the bulk storage container as experimental unit for the dried and ensiled groundnut haulms. Differences in least squares means of all fixed effects were declared statistically significant at P ≤ 0.05. Ensiling increased the CP content (4.1% against 6.6%) and decreased the NDF (37.9% against 35.0%) of the groundnut haulm compared to drying. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) among the diets on microbial count. The nutrient composition of the ensiled diet was better than the dried groundnut haulm diet. Ensiling also increased (p<0.04) ADG from 0.03kg/d to 0.05 kg/d compared to drying. Ensiling groundnut haulms increased the CP content (4.1 % against 6.6%) and decreased the NDF (37.9% against 35.0%) compared to drying. The nutrient composition of the ensiled diet was better than the dried groundnut haulm as ensiling increased ADG (0.03-0.05 kg/d) compared to drying.