تاثير استفاده از غلاف كهور در جيره غذائي بره هاي پرواري

Effect of Prosopis juliflora pods in the diet of fattening Arabic lambs

In this experiment sixty four Arabic male lambs 4 to 5 months age (and average weight 23.22 Kg ±3.42)were used in a completely randomized block design with 4 treatments and 4 blocks (4 animals per each block) and fattened for 90 days. The forage contents portion of the diet in different percentage of Prosopis juliflora pods were 0, 15, 30 and 45 percent. The animals were weighted each 15 days interval, and the feed consumption was recorded every day. After finishing the fattening period, the lambs were weighted and then slaughtered. The percentage of meat, fat and bone in relative to cold carcass were determined. The results of P. juliflora pod for crude protein and crude fiber were 13.07, 22.47, percent respectively. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) for initial weight, final weight, body weight gain, average dry matter intake and feed conversion between treatments. The total body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency of different treatments were 15.99, 16.29, 16.15, 16.86 kg and 6.25, 6.56, 6.73 and 6.31 respectively. There was no significant differences (p>0.05) between control group and the other treatments for different traits of live body weight, cold and hot carcass weight, carcass efficiency, the percentage of carcass meat, fat and bone. The results of hot and cold carcass weight and dressing percentage for treatments were 19.68, 19.41, 18.79, 18.88 kg and 19.05, 19.08, 18.25, 18.43 kg and 46.98, 46.60, 46.79, 46.45 percent respectively. It is concluded that up to 45 percent of concentrate can be replaced with Prosopis juliflora pod without any significant decrease in body weight gain and growth rate of fattening lambs.