PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

The study evaluated the growth performance, digestibility, and nitrogen utilisation of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed with Albizia lebbeck - cassava peel silage and Panicum maximum. Sixteen female WAD sheep (6–7 months old and average live weights of 11 kg) were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments in a complete randomized design. Dietary treatments of A. lebbeck - cassava peel silage are: Diet 1 (60% Cassava peel + 25% A. lebbeck + 15% P. maximum), Diet 2 (45% Cassava peel + 40% A. lebbeck +15% P. maximum), and Diet 3 (30% Cassava peel + 55 % A. lebbeck + 15% P. maximum), while Diet 4 (100% P. maximum) is the control. The pH values (4.27–5.39), NH3-N (0.089–0.125%), lactic (0.72–1.08%), and butyric (7.04–10.53%) acids, contents of silages differed (p < 0.05). Intakes of dry matter (68.6–71.3 g/kg W0.75/d) and crude protein (15.9–18.4 g/kg W0.75/d) of sheep were similar (p > 0.05) across treatments, while total feed intake (840 g/d) and weight gain (46.07 g/d) of sheep fed diet 1 were superior (p < 0.05) to other treatment groups. Although, sheep fed diet 4 had the best (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio, silage diet was efficiently utilized by the sheep fed diet 1. Nutrient digestibility varied (p < 0.05) across treatment groups. The values of apparent nitrogen digestibility (69.33%), nitrogen absorbed and retained was highest (2.08 and 1.97 g/d) in sheep fed diet 1, while nitrogen absorbed and retained was lowest (1.37 and 1.12 g/d) in sheep fed diet 3. In conclusion, WAD sheep fed diet 1 performed remarkably in terms of feed intake, weight gain, and N-utilisation. Therefore, A. lebbeck-cassava peel silage can be a viable option for sheep feeding in the dry season when grass quality is low.