Performance characteristics of lactating djallonke ewes fed rice straw basal diets supplemented with stylosanthes hamata

A 7-week feed intake and growth performance study involving thirty lactating Djallonke ewes and their lambs was conducted. The ewes were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatment groups resulting in 10 replications. The ewes were individually housed and offered 1000 g rice straw basal diet daily; Stylosanthes hamata given as a supplement at one of the 3 rates, which formed the treatments; i.e. 180 g/d [T180], 240 g/d[T240] or 360 g/d [T360]. Feed intake of the ewes and liveweight changes of the ewes and their lambs were recorded. Intake of rice straw was similar amongst the ewes on the different treatments (P>0.05). However, the ewes consumed more supplement as the amount offered increased resulting in a significant improvement in total feed intake as the supplement offered increased (P 0.05) in the body weights of the ewes that could be attributable to treatment effects. The average daily gains (ADG) at day 49 for the lambs were, 47.5 [T180], 63.4 [T240] and 76 g [T360]. This result suggest that supplementation of ewes had a significant effect (P Keywords : supplementation, Stylosanthes hamata, rice straw, Djallonke ewes, lambs. Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 57-64