Authors
Faustin Dokui, Christophe AAM Chrysostome, Severin Babatoude, Fréderic M Houndonougbo
Publication date
2023/7/28
Source
Aceh Journal of Animal Science
Volume
8
Issue
3
Pages
108-114
Description
Feed represents the highest expense in animal husbandry. Due to the constitution of their digestive system, sheep exhibit remarkable characteristics concerning the feed they eat and how they digest it (Meyer et al., 2004; Noziere et al., 2018). In ruminant feeding and nutrition systems, feeds are often classified into two groups: coarse feeds with a low nutritional value and concentrated feeds, which represent up to 30% of the diet and make it possible to supplement the coarse feeds to meet nutritional needs (Meyer et al., 2004). Coarse feeds are often rich in cellulose (with cellulose content higher than 15%) and full of water, which sometimes constitutes more than 80% of feed in its fresh state (Kırkpınar and Açıkgöz, 2018; Nantoumé, 2020). One of their specific characteristics is that in their fresh state, a large volume of feed contains only a weak nutritional component. Among these are green fodder, hay, silage, roots, and tubers (Beigh et al., 2017). Although coarse feeds are often the basic ration for sheep, concentrated feeds are frequently used to fill nutritional gaps or stimulate growth or production (Beigh et al., 2017, Wilkinson and Lee 2018). They are commonly called “feed supplements” in the ruminant feeding system. They can provide many nutritional components with a lower volume of total feed (Noziere et al., 2018, Wilkinson and Lee, 2018). This category includes feeds made with grains, animal meals, oilcake, and bran (Negewo et al., 2018; Dimon et al., 2020). For African dwarf sheep, as for other animals, a good diet is essential so that the feed intake meets all the animal’s needs and enables proper growth and
Like gasoline is essential …
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