Effect of pearl millet silage ammoniated with urea on lamb production and metabolic performance

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diets containing pearl millet silage ammoniated with urea on the intake, digestibility, production performance, and nitrogen metabolism of lambs. Thirty‐two uncastrated mixed‐breed lambs at 4 to 5 months of age, with an average initial body weight of 17.39 ± 2.16 kg, were distributed into four treatments in a randomized block experimental design with eight replicates. Experimental diets consisted of pearl millet silage ammoniated with urea during ensiling at the levels of 0, 20, 40, and 60 g/kg dry matter (DM). Increasing urea levels in the pearl millet silage led to a linear decrease (p < .05) in the intakes of DM, organic matter, and total digestible nutrients by the lambs. Total and average daily weight gains decreased linearly (p < .05) with the addition of urea to the silage. Intake and digestibility of crude protein, nitrogen intake, urine urea nitrogen, plasma urea nitrogen, microbial synthesis, and microbial efficiency had a quadratic response (p < .05) to the urea levels in the silage. Pearl millet silage ammoniated with urea reduces dry‐matter intake and daily weight gain in lambs. Urea is not recommended for use in the ensiling of pearl millet.

The Effect of Using Panicum Mombasa Hay and Millet Hay in the diet on the Production Performance of Awassi Lambs

“…These results are consistent with the (17) findings that showed there were no significant differences between calves fed on Panicum and calves fed on different grass, and (12) did not observe a significant difference between the treatments of four forms of Panicum (hay, green, silage, and hay) that were fed to sheep. Moreover, the results of this study did not agree with what (11) findings when feeding rams on the millet silage with the addition of different percentages of urea, and significant differences (P≤0.05) were observed between the treatments, as the addition treatments were superior in the daily weight gain. Furthermore, (18) showed in a study on African goats, there was a significant difference (P≤0.…”

“…Besides, it is a major crop in semi-arid regions of India and Africa (9) and is from the summer crop, which is characterized by abundant growth and many branches, with its smooth, erect stem that carries a large number of leaves that have the ability to regrowth. As it is possible to obtain 3-4 cuts during the growing season, in addition to that the productivity of green forage for millet is superior to many varieties of sorghum (10), (11) mentioned that the millet plant could play an important role as a source of forage for ruminants due to its high tolerance to droughts, its short growth cycle that ranges from 60 to 90 days, and its effective ability to regrowth. Finally, the current study aimed to identify the role of feeding on the Panicum Mombasa hay and millet hay, compared to the alfalfa hay and mixing them on the productive performance of the Awassi lambs.…”

Total Replacement of Millet Silage with BRS-716 Biomass Sorghum Silage in Crossbred Dairy Heifers Diets: Nutrient Intake and Digestibility, Microbial Protein Synthesis, Ingestive Behavior, and Growth Performance

“…Br.) is widely used in the world (Assis et al, 2017), and in Brazil, about ve million hectares have been cultivated annually (Calegari et al, 2014;Carvalho et al, 2018). Due to the deep root system, capable of extracting nutrients and moisture from the soil, millet cultivation has stood out for its ability to grow under conditions of water stress (mean rainfall 400 mm).…”

“…Due to the deep root system, capable of extracting nutrients and moisture from the soil, millet cultivation has stood out for its ability to grow under conditions of water stress (mean rainfall 400 mm). Furthermore, it is adapted to environments with high temperatures (up to 40°C), and presents an annual dry mass (DM) yield ranging from 10 to 20 t/ha (Assis et al, 2017), with good nutritional value (Carvalho et al, 2018).…”

pH, perdas por gases, efluentes e valor nutricional de silagens de milheto[Pennisetum glaucum(L.) R. Br.] com diferentes níveis de leucena (Leucaena Leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) no semiárido

“…Br.] que apresenta características favoráveis para cultivo em regiões semiáridas, pois é uma forrageira de ciclo curto (60 a 90 dias); se adapta à ambientes com restrição hídrica (400 mm anualmente) e de elevadas temperaturas, utilizando água com eficiência em relação a outras plantas como o milho, sorgo e apresenta elevada produção de massa por unidade de área, (60 t de matéria verde por hectare) e bom valor nutricional (CARVALHO et al, 2018).…”