%0 Journal Article
%T Effect of feeding maize silage supplemented with concentrate and legume hay on growth in Nellore ram lambs
%A Venkateswarlu Malisetty
%A Ramana Reddy Yerradoddi
%A Nagalakshmi Devanaboina Mahender Mallam
%A Hari Krishna Cherala
%J Veterinary World
%D 2013
%I Veterinary World
%R 10.5455/vetworld.2013.209-213
%X Aim: The main intension of this research work is to develop a feeding system for growing Nellore ram lambs by feeding maize silage based rations supplemented with concentrate and or legume hay at certain levels to investigate the growth rate. Materials and Methods: Experimental animals (Nellore ram lambs) were purchased from local sandy and maize silage was prepared at village by using silos (9''L X 9''W X 8''D) and concentrate mixture was prepared at feed mill located at department by using locally available ingredients. Animals were housed in well ventilated sheds and were dewormed and vaccinated against diseases. Fortnightly body weights were taken by using spring balance and calculated the total weight gain and ADG. The experimental animals were divided into seven groups based on their body weight to contain six in each and were fed intensively for five months with sole maize silage (R-I), silage + concentrate at 0.5 per cent body weight (R-II), silage + concentrate at 1.0 per cent body weight (R-III), silage + concentrate at 1.5 per cent body weight (R-IV), silage + lucerne hay (R-V) and silage + GN haulms (R-VI) and sweet sorghum bagasse based complete diet (R-VII) to study the growth rate. Results: Significantly (P<0.01) increase in ADG was observed in ram lambs fed R-IV ration was 16.58, 20.49, 24.10, 29.74, 38.28 and 62.01 per cent, respectively in comparison to those fed R-VII, R-V, R-III, R-VI, R-II and R-I rations. Almost similar ADG was noticed in lambs fed R-III, R-V and R-VII rations and the supplementation of concentrate at 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% of body weight plus maize silage ad lib has increased the growth/gain in ram lambs by 62.48, 99.81 and 163.25 per cent, respectively in comparison to sole silage feeding. Similarly, supplementation of lucerne hay and groundnut haulms with maize silage has increased the weight gain by 109.31 and 84.97 per cent, respectively in comparison to sole maize silage fed animals. Sole sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) based complete ration (50:50) fed lambs (R-VII ration) showed the ADG almost similar to those animals fed lucerne hay plus maize silage ad lib. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that, maize silage can be supplemented either with lucerne hay, groundnut haulms (to meet 25% of DM requirement) or concentrate mixture at 1.5% of body weight for obtaining optimum growth rate in Nellore ram lambs. [Vet World 2013; 6(4.000): 209-213]
%K growth rate
%K legume hay
%K maize silage
%K Nellore ram lambs
%U http://www.scopemed.org/fulltextpdf.php?mno=23533