Nutrient intake and utilization in sheep fed opuntia ficus indica
Range Management and Agroforestry
Year : 2018, Volume : 39, Issue : 1
First page : ( 97) Last page : ( 102)
Print ISSN : 0971-2070. Online ISSN : 2249-5231.
The nutritive value of opuntia [(Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.] in conjunction with conventional fodders was assessed on 32 adult sheep (31.00+0.85 kg body weight (BW) and 2 to 3 years in age) divided into four equal experimental groups. The experimental diets consisted of chopped (5-8 cm) Opuntia cladodes to provide 20 percent of dietary DM in conjunction with chopped green Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) grass (T1), Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) hay (T2), lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus) straw (T3)and gram (Cicer arietinum) straw (T4), ad libitum. All experimental animals were supplemented 200 g concentrate supplement per head daily.