Performance of weaner sheep fed wheat straw ensiled with caged layer waste

Abstract

The performance of weaner lambs fed for 90 days Rhodes grass hay alone (A) or supplemented with silages containing 0, 20 or 40% (B, C, D) caged layer waste (CLW) was examined. Weaver sheep on the diet of hay supplemented with 40% CLW silage had higher total DMI (P<0.01) and average daily gain (ADG) than sheep on the other treatments. Mean DMI/kg W 0.75 and ADG were 59.4, 58.7, 60.0 and 65.0 g/day and 15.0, 20.5, 17.6 and 33.2 g/day for treatments A, B, C and D, respectively. Carcass composition did not (P>0.05) differ between treatments except that kidney fat was lower (P<0.05) for sheep on the B silage diet. Dressing percentage, % lean, % fat were: 30.4, 31.4, 32.1 and 33.5, 58.0, 59.0, 58.9 and 58:5, 8.3, 7.2, 8.2 and 8.9% for treatments A, B, C and D, respectively. The study showed that CLW was a suitable protein supplement for sheep when processed by ensilage for 42 days at a level of 40% inclusion with wheat straw.