Initial Study On Maize Stover Diet Of Sheep

Initial Study on Maize Stover Diet of Sheep Deng Xiande Supervised by: Luo Qiujiang Abstract A series of experiments were studied on maize stover diet of sheep. The research included comparison digestion and metabolism between maize silage and mixture of maize stover, kernel of corn and corncob according to proportion of whole maize; study on the nutritive value of a basal diet of maize stover for sheep in winter; effect of different concentrate levels on intake of sheep for roughage and effect of maize stover sprayed with urea on sheep intake of maize stover. The results were as follow: In experiment 1, for the sheep fed maize silage, the intake, apparent digestibility of OM, CP, calcium and phosphorus, retention of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium were 709.9?3.Og!sheep/day, 70.5?.1, 66.3?.5, 47.9?2 -11.9?3.2 and 21.8?.9% 645+2.73, 0.22?.05 and -0.27?.28g/sheep/day, respectively, and for the sheep fed whole maize were 725.9?9.7g/sheep!day, 70.2?.6, 52.4?.6, 57.4?.8, 18.5?.7, and 21.5?0.6%, 20.21 ?.53, 0.26?.10 and 0.67?.34 g/sheep/day, respectively. Therefore, the nutritive value of maize stover plus kernel of corn for sheep was better than that of maize silage. In experiment 2, sheep were fed on 84.3% roughage ad libitum plus 15% concentrate (group A), 82.9% roughage ad libitum plus 15% concentrate plus 1.94% additive (group B) and 51.6% roughage ad libitum plus 48.0% concentrate (group C) respectively. It is showed that roughage (DM) intake of sheep in 3 groups were 562, 578 and 546 g/sheep/day respectively, total intake were 667, 697 and 1058 g/sheep!day, concentrate conversion efficiency were 26.5, 42.72 and 30.51% and daily body weight gain 27.3 ?7 1 44.0 ?13.6 and 155.2 ?22.3 g/sheep/day respectively. The result showed that 84% ground maize stover diets could meet with maintenance requirements of sheep in winter. Additive improved intake of sheep on ground maize stover and significantly increased the body weight gain of sheep and the concentrate conversion efficiency (P<0.0 5). Sheep fed mere concentrate was the best in the daily body weight gain and total intake (P<0.0 1). It is that the roughage intakes in 3 groups were similar in spite of different concentrate supplements. In experiment 3, the roughage intake ad libitum by sheep was negatively correlated with concentrate levels in diet (r~0.95 1). Sheep roughage intake would increase 50-~56g when concentrate of diet was reduced by every 100g. When the sheep were fed with 600挆850g1 head! day for about 50 days, the concentrate iii I conversion efficiency was highest. In experiment 4, rumen-fistulated sheep was fed on maize stover sprayed with 0, 9.4, 18.8 or 28.2g compound urea I kg maize stover respectively, with the basal diet of 200g concentrates. The result showed that maize stover intake of sheep were 560, 713, 647 and 620g respectively, average rumen fluid ammonia-N (RFNH3--N) concentration were 16.71, 21.47, 39.58 and 45.12 mgIlOOml respectively, average pH value 7.04, 6.72, 6.99 and 6.89 respectively. The result showed that roughage intake of the sheep fed on maize stover sprayed with 9.4g compound urea / kg maize stover was highest.