IN-VIVO NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF DATE PALM LEAVES IN TOTAL MIXED RATION FOR ADULT MARWARI SHEEP

V.N. PARMAR¹*, D.C. PATEL², S. PARNEKER³, M.D. MAKWANA⁴, S.J. PATEL⁵, N.R. PATEL⁶, O.B. JOSHI^7
1College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 388 110, Gujarat
²College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 388 110, Gujarat
³College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 388 110, Gujarat
⁴College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, S.K. Nagar, Dantiwada, 370645, Gujarat
⁵College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001, Gujarat
⁶College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 388 110, Gujarat
⁷College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 388 110, Gujarat
* Corresponding Author : patelnitin2076@gmail.com

Received : 12-09-2016     Accepted : 20-10-2016     Published : 06-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 54       Pages : 2887 - 2890
Int J Agr Sci 8.54 (2016):2887-2890

Keywords : Total Mixed Ration, Date palm leaves, Dry matter
Academic Editor : Mitul Prajapati
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors are thankful to the Department of Animal Nutrition and Research Station, College of Veterinary Science And Animal Husbandry Anand Agricultural University, Anand for providing the facilities for this work.
Author Contribution : None declared

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of incorporation of dried and green date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. [Arecaceae] leaves in total mixed ration (TMR) comprising of 30:70 concentrates: Jowar hay as maintenance ration of adult Marwari sheep. Twenty-one adult Marwari sheep of similar body weight were randomly allotted to three groups, seven in each and were individually fed for 15 days preliminary feeding and 60 days experimental period to meet their energy and protein requirements as per ICAR 1998 standards. The sheep were fed TMR without Date palm leaves (T1); TMR with ADPL replacing 40% of jowar hay (T2) and TMR with GDPL replacing 40% of jowar hay on dry matter equivalent basis (T3). The TMR comprising of either air dried or green date palm leaves replacing jowar hay at 40% DM equivalent basis, had no any adverse effect on voluntary feed intake and body weights of adult Marwari sheep. The three groups also did not differ from each other with respect to digestibility coefficients for dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber