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The experiment was conducted to evaluate the supplementary value of dried and ground Ficus sur fruits (FSF) mixed at different proportions with oats grain (OG) on carcass yield, carcass composition, and pH concentration. Thirty Hararghe highland lambs with initial live weights of 14.32±0.25kg (mean±SEM) were used for the experiment. The experimental sheep were grouped into 5 based on their initial body weight. Thus, the experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) consisting of 5 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments were: ad libitum natural pasture hay (control); 100%FSF:0%OG [100FSF]; 67%FSF:33%OG [67FSF]; 33%FSF:67%OG [33FSF]; 0%FSF:100%OG [0FSF], which were randomly assigned to the sheep in each block. Noug seed ( Gizotia abysinica ) cake (NSC) was supplemented at isonitrogenous levels to all treatments and control diets. No significant (P>0.05) effect of the dietary treatments was observed on carcass parameters and most of the edible and non-edible offal components. The carcass of lambs fed 100FSF diet consist the highest (P

A survey was conducted in the highland and mid altitude areas of Horro and Guduru districts of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone of Oromia Regional State, western Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing livestock production situation, livestock production constraints, major feed resources and their potential contribution. A single-visit multi subject formal survey method was used in the survey. A total of 210 household heads, 60 from highland and 150 from mid altitude areas were selected and interviewed. The average land holding was 4.43±0.26 ha per household in the highland and 3.98±0.11 ha in the mid altitude areas. The average size of grazing lands of highland respondents (0.73±0.08 ha) was significantly higher (P

Twenty growing Yorkshire piglets of 27.8±1.4kg (mean ± SD) average initial weight were used to investigate the effect of feeding different proportions of ground Ficus sur fruits (FSF) mixed with ground maize grain (MG) on carcass yield and quality attributes. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments and five replications per treatment. The treatment diets were: 100% FSF and 0%MG represented as (100FSF), 67% FSF and 33% MG (67FSF), 33% FSF and 67% MG (33FSF) and 0% FSF and 100% MG (0FSF). For all treatments protein supplement (NSC+SBM) was given to provide about 18% CP to make the ration isonitrogenous. Except for the slaughter weight, which significantly (P 0.05) among the treatments. However, lungs (P=0.012) and gastro intestinal tract (GIT) (P=0.001) among the viscera organs were varied. None of the quality attributes of the pork significantly differed (P>0.05) in color, taste, flavor, juiciness, tenderness and texture among the treatments. This indicates that similar quality pork can be produced by feeding FSF as those fed with MG. It is, therefore, concluded that substitution of MG with FSFs in the diets of pigs can result in comparable carcass yield and quality attributes.

In vitro digestibility and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of Napier grass/silver leaf Desmodium mixtures were carried out using 3X2 factorial experiment arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were three levels of stubble cutting heights (20cm, 30cm, and 40cm) and two levels of planting patterns (same row and alternate row). For the legume component DM disappearance after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours of incubation significantly (p

Article Information This study was undertaken with the objectives of evaluating the effect of dried and ground Vernonia (V. amygdalina) leaves and ground sorghum (S. bicolor) grain mixture supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, body weight change, feed conversion efficiency of Horro lambs fed a basal diet of natural pasture hay. The feeding and digestibility trials were conducted using twenty male lambs of similar yearling age and average body weight of 15.4 ±0.58kg. The lambs were blocked into five blocks of four animals each based on their initial body weight and randomly allocated to four dietary treatments from each block giving five animals per treatment. Treatment 1 was fed on grass hay alone, while treatments 2, 3, and 4 received graded levels (150, 300 and 450g, respectively) of a mixture of dried and ground Vernonia leaves and ground sorghum grain mixture as supplements to the grass hay basal diet. Supplementation with dried Vernonia leaves and sorghum grain mixture improved feed intake, nutrient digestibility and body weight gain of the lambs as compared to the unsupplemented animals. The body weight gain of the lambs was lowest in T1 (7.6g/day), intermediate in T2 (40 g/day) and highest in T3 (81.3 g/day) and T4 (93.8 g/day) (P < 0.01). It was concluded that supplementation of vernonia leaves and sorghum grain mixture improved feed intake and digestibility of the diet and body weight gain of the lambs. In general increased performance was observed with increasing level of supplementation. However, cost-benefit analysis is required to determine the optimum level of supplementation, particularly as the level of supplementation exceeds 300 g. Article History: Received : 29-03-2013 Revised : 25-06-2013 Accepted : 27-06-2013