Abstract 589

Adesipe,-YM; Olayiwole,-MB; Fulani,-IJ

National Animal Production Research Inst., Shika, Ahmadu Bello Univ., PMB 1096, Zaria, Nigeria.

World-Review-of-Animal-Production. 1983, 19: 1, 71-77; 12 ref.

50 bulls were fed in a feedlot for 140 days with five ration treatments compounded of sorghum grain and different protein sources to study their performance on each ration and to determine economic margins. It was found that 140 days was too long for bulls on most of the rations to reach their best marketing weights. The best three rations based on profit margins were whole undelinted cottonseed, undelinted, undecorticated cottonseed cake and delinted cottonseed cake in that order; while rations with dry brewer's grain and groundnut cake had the lowest margins. Given the need to sell bulls once they reach their best marketing weights, and practical problems of a ready market for the product, it was recommended that more than one of the rations could be used at a time for commercial production. These will give more flexibility in spacing the sale of bulls. In this regard, ration 4 (undelinted, undecorticated cottonseed cake) and ration 3 (delinted cottonseed cake) could be used since animals on these rations will reach marketing weight faster than on whole, undelinted cottonseed though its margin was higher than the two recommended rations.