GROUNDNUT SHELL IN SHEEP PRODUCTION

Two studies were conducted to determine growth and fattening performance of Yankasa rams fed complete diet. In the first study four treatment diets were formulated containing 40% as same level of the test material with different levels of the other ingredients such as maize offal, cotton seed cake, bone meal ruminants¿ premix and salt. 20 Yankasa ram lambs of 9-10 months were used. The growth trial lasted for 90 days. Second study was conducted to determine effect of the treated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) shell in fattening Yankasa rams. The fattening trial lasted for 90 days. Measured parameters were feed intake, weight gain, digestibility, nitrogen balance, rumen microbial load, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acid, carcass characteristics and cost benefit. Results of the first study indicated that ram lambs fed ULMTGNS diet had the highest daily feed intake of 88.69g/day. In feed conversion ratio ram lambs on LTGNS diet had the least mean values (8.94) and were significantly (P<0.05) different from those on UTGNS and ULMTGNS diets.