Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing ram lambs fed sweet sorghum bagasse-based complete rations varying in roughage-to-concentrate ratios

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Different roughage-to-concentrate ratios of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) (a by-product of the biofuel industry)-based complete diets were assessed. Twenty four growing Nellore × Deccani ram lambs aged about 3 months (average body wt., 10.62 ± 0.25 kg) were randomly allotted to four complete rations (CR) varying in roughage-to-concentrate ratios viz. 60:40 (CR-I), 50:50 (CR-II), 40:60 (CR-III) and 30:70(CR-IV) for a period of 180 days. The feed intake was comparable among the lambs fed different experimental complete diets. Average daily weight gain (in grams) was 77.31 ± 4.90, 81.76 ± 5.16, 85.83 ± 2.83 and 86.30 ± 3.25, and feed conversion ratio (in kilograms of feed per kilogram gain) averaged 11.42 ± 0.68, 10.57 ± 0.64, 10.17 ± 0.37 and 9.96 ± 0.38 in ram lambs fed CR-I, CR-II, CR-III and CR-IV rations, respectively. Statistically, differences in daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio among the lambs fed four experimental rations were not significant (P > 0.05). The cost per kilogram gain was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in ram lambs fed CR-IV and CR-III rations compared to CR-I ration, and it was comparable between CR-I and CR-II rations. Dressing percentage averaged 44.90 ± 0.15, 42.57 ± 0.72, 43.67 ± 0.16 and 44.42 ± 0.76 for the respective diets. No significant difference and trend was observed in preslaughter weight, empty body weight, carcass weights, dressing percentage, wholesale cuts and edible and non-edible portions of experimental animals. Similarly, no significant variation could be seen in bone and meat yield (in per cent) and their ratios in various wholesale cuts among the dietary treatments. The roughage-to-concentrate ratio did not affect the chemical composition of meat; however, the fat content of meat was linearly increased with increase in the proportion of concentrate in the diets. The results of the experiment indicated that SSB can be included at 60 % level in the complete diet for economical mutton production from growing Nellore × Deccani ram lambs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ameha Sebsibe, N.H., Casey, W.A., Van Niekerk, Azage Tegegne, Coertze, R.J., 2007. Growth performance and carcass characteristics of three Ethiopian goat breeds fed grain less diets varying in concentrate to roughage ratios. South African Journal of Animal Science, 37, 221–232.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anandan, S., Musalia, L. M., Sastry, V. R. B., Agarwal, D. K., 2003. Carcass characteristics of goat fed ammoniated neem (Azadirachta indica) seed kernel cake. Asian- Australian Journal of Animal Science, 16, 1451–1454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Association of Official Analytical Chemists International, 1997. Official Methods of Analysis, 16th edition. AOAC, Arlington, VA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakshi, M. P. S., Wadhwa, M., Rana, K. K., Kaushal, S., 2004. Effect of roughage level in complete feed on the rumen environment in crossbred cows. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 21, 158–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blummel, M., Rao, S. S., Palaniswami, S., Shah, L., Belum Reddy, V. S., 2009. Evaluation of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) used for bio- ethanol production in the context of optimizing whole plant utilization. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 9, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandly, P. J., George Migaki, Kenneth, E., Taylor, 1968. Meat hygiene. 3rd edition, Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho, S., Brochier, M. A., Pivato, J., Vergueiro, A.,Teixeira, R.C., Kieling, R., 2007. Performance and economic evaluation of the feeding of feedlot lambs with diets with different roughage:concentrate ratios. Ciencia Rural, 37, 1411–1417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhuria, R. K., Sharma, T., Purohit, G. R., 2008. Rumen characteristics in sheep fed complete rations having different proportion of concentrate to roughage. Veterinary Practitioner, 9, 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, 11, 1–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, T. K., Agnihotri, M. K., Sahoo, P. K., Rajkumar, V., Das, A. K., 2009. Effect of different protein-energy ratio in pulse by-products and residue based pelleted feeds on growth, rumen fermentation, carcass and sausage quality in Barbari kids. Small Ruminant Research, 85, 34–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fimbres, H., Hernandez, G. V. Picon, R. F. J., Kawas, R. J., Lu, C. D. Lu, 2002. Productive performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed finishing ration containing various forage levels. Small Ruminant Research, 43, 283–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerrand, F., 1964. Meat Technology. 3rd edition Leonard Hell Limited, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haddad, S. G., 2005. Effect of dietary forage: concentrate ratio on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing baladi kids. Small Ruminant Research, 57, 43–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jain, P. K., Bohery, A. K., 2004. Effect of three management system on carcass characteristics in male Barbari goats. Indian Journal of Animal Science, 74, 232–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jabbar, M. A., Anjum, M. I., 2008. Effect of diets with different forage to concentrate ratio for fattening of Lohi lambs. Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 28, 150–152.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • John, G., Safari, Danie, E., Mushi, Louis, A., Mtenga, George, C., Kifaro, Lars, O., Eik, 2011. Growth, carcass yield and meat quality attributes of Red Maasai sheep fed wheat straw-based diets. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 43, 89–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karim, S. A., 1999. Current status and future prospects of sheep for mutton production. In: Proceeding of IX Animal Nutrition Research Workers Conference, Dec 2–4 1999, Hyderabad, India, 85–98.

  • Karim, S. A., Rawat, P. S., 1997. Growth performance and caracsss characteristics of lambs raised on varying proportion of roughage and concentrate. Indian Journal of Animal Science, 67, 902–905.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karim, S. A., Patnayak, B. C., 1998. Carcass characteristics of finisher lambs raised on varying levels of energy under heat exposure. Indian Journal of Animal Science, 68, 276–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lechartier, C., Peyraud, L., 2010. The effects of forage proportion and rapidly degradable dry matter from concentrate on ruminal digestion in dairy cows fed corn silage-based diets with fixed neutral detergent fiber and starch contents, Journal of Dairy Science, 93, 666–681.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matejovsky, K. M., Sanson, D. W., 1995. Intake and digestion of low-, medium-, and high- quality grass hays by lambs receiving increasing levels of corn supplementation. Journal of Animal Science, 73, 2156–2163.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Papi, N., Mostaf, T. A., Amanlou, H. Memarian, M. 2011. Effects of dietary forage-to-concentrate ratios on performance and carcass characteristics of growing fat-tailed lambs Anim. Feed Science and Technology, 163, 93–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, G. V. N., Reddy, M. R., 1999. Effect of feeding extruded complete diet containing maize cobs in Ongole calves. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 16, 210–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santra, A., Karim, S. A., 2009. Effect of dietary roughage and concentrate ratio on nutrient utilization and performance of ruminant animals. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 9, 113–135.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santra, A., Karim, S. A., 2002. Nutrient utilization and growth performance of defaunated and faunated lambs maintained on complete diets containing varying proportion of roughage and concentrate. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 101, 87–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, J., Amit Sharma, Handa, M. C., Nagra, S. S., 2009. Effect of different concentrate roughage ratio on growth performance, carcass characteristics and economics of production of Beetal kids under stall feeding. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 26, 354–357.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suresha, C., Ramachandra, B., Suresh, B. N., Madhav Prasad, C. B., Shetter, V. B., 2009. Evaluation of red garm and Bengal straw based pelleted complete diets in goats. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 26, 349–353.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snedecor, G. W., Cochran, W. G., 1994. Statistical methods. 8th edn, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, USA-50010

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterk, A., Johansson, B. E. O., Taweel, H.Z.H., Murphy, M., VanVuuren, A. M., Hendriks, W. H., Dijkstra, J., 2011. Effects of forage type, forage to concentrate ratio, and crushed linseed supplementation on milk fatty acid profile in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 94, 6078–6091.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talapatra, S. K., Roy, S. C., Sen, K. C., 1940. Estimation of phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in food stuffs. . Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, 10, 243–258.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A., 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74, 3583–3597.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, G. M., Johnston, F. B., 1962. Chemical methods of plants analysis. Publ.1064. Research Branch, Canada, Department of Agriculture.

  • Yuksel, S. Yanar M., Turgut, L., Ozluturk, A., Kopuzlu, S., Sezgin, E. 2009. Feed efficiency and carcass and meat quality characteristics of bulls finished on diets containing varied proportions of wheat straw and wet sugar beet pulp. South African Journal of Animal Science, 39 ISSN 0375-1589.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Science, S. V. Veterinary University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 500 030, India

    Nagireddy Nalini Kumari, Devanaboyina Nagalakshmi & Thamatam Monika

  2. International Livestock Research Institute, Patancheru, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 502 324, India

    Yerradoddi Ramana Reddy & Michel Blummel

  3. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 502 324, India

    Belum Venkata Subba Reddy & Chintalapani Ravinder Reddy

Authors
  1. Nagireddy Nalini Kumari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yerradoddi Ramana Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michel Blummel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Devanaboyina Nagalakshmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Thamatam Monika
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Belum Venkata Subba Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Chintalapani Ravinder Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nagireddy Nalini Kumari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kumari, N.N., Reddy, Y.R., Blummel, M. et al. Growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing ram lambs fed sweet sorghum bagasse-based complete rations varying in roughage-to-concentrate ratios. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 649–655 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0272-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0272-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation