Effect of replacing soybean meal with dried rumen digesta on digestibility and growth performance of Djallonké sheep

The experiment was conducted to assess the effect of replacing soybean meal with dried rumen digesta (DRD) in concentrate diet on digestibility and growth performance of Djallonké sheep in the Northern savanna zone of Ghana. The treatments were T0 (0% DRD), T1 (4% DRD), T2 (8% DRD) and T3 (12% DRD). Sixteen (16) Djallonké rams with an initial average body weight of 12.4±2.4kg of 10-12 months old were randomly assigned to four treatment diets and replicated four times over a 63 day period in a completely randomized design (CRD). The data were subjected to statistical analysis of variance using GenStat 18.2 edition. Concentrate dry matter, organic matter intake (OMI) and crude protein intake (CP) were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the inclusion of dried rumen digesta (DRD). The inclusion of DRD in the rams’ diet showed no significant effect on apparent nutrient digestibility. The average daily weight gain (ADWG) of the rams were 56.6 g, 51.8 g, 48.8 g and 47.9 g for T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively and they were not significantly (P<0.05) different when compared to the control diet. Haematology, serum profile and carcass characteristics of the experimental rams were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. Feeding rams with concentrate diet containing dried rumen digesta (DRD) did not have any adverse effect on growth performance, health of animals and nutrient digestibility.