Anwar  Seid,Mohammed  Yasin Ali,Endris  Feqi,
Replacement of Concentrate Mix with Improved Forages for Afar Goats under Semi Intensive Production System Meet to Export Market Weight
Dairy Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
2020

http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.DAHVS.2020.01.02
https://www.sciencerepository.org/replacement-of-concentrate-mix-with-improved-forages-for-afar_DAHVS-2020-1-102 
Abstract: The experiment was conducted with the objective of to evaluate the comparative feeding value of improved
forages as a replacement of concentrate mix with its economic benefits on feed intake, body weight gain
and carcass parameters of Afar goats. Twenty-five yearling intact male Afar goats with initial mean body
weight of 15.05±1.25 (mean ± SD) were used for the experiment in randomized complete block design. The
experimental animals were grouped in to five blocks of five animals based on their initial body weight and
each animal within each block was randomly assigned to one of the five treatment diets. Treatments were
grazing (Ad libitum) + 100% concentrate mix (wheat bran and noug seed cake) (T1), grazing (Ad libitum)
+ 100 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) (T2), grazing (Ad libitum) + 50 % mixed forage (Rhodes and
cowpea) + 50% concentrate mix (T3), grazing (Ad libitum) + 25 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) +
75% concentrate mix (T4), and grazing (Ad libitum) + 75 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) + 25%
concentrate mix (T5). The experiment was consisted of feeding trial followed by carcass evaluation. The
supplement given at the rate of 300gDM/head/day. Water and mineralized salt block were available free of
choice. The concentrate mix was 2:1 (wheat bran and Noug seed cake. The CP content of the NSC (Noug
seed cake), WB (wheat bran), cowpea and Rhodes grass were 31.3, 17.4, 16.9 and 8.6 %, respectively.
Organic matter and basal intake were not significant difference (P>0.05) among the treatments, while intake
of supplement was slightly higher (P<0.05) for T1, T4, T3, than T5 and T2 respectively. Average daily gain
in was higher 110g/d (T4). Hot carcass weight was slightly higher (P<0.05) for T4 10.82 kg. The use of sole
cowpea and Rhodes grass mix instead of concentrate mix was reduces feed cost and increase net return.
Mixture of cowpea and Rhodes grass as sole supplement is relatively comparable to the supplementary value
of concentrate mixture to improve Afar goat performance but forage mix was required higher (p<0.05) feed
to bring the same weight to other concentrate contained treatment diets.Keywords: Afar goats, concentrate mixture, cowpea, feed intake, weight gain, carcass