Abstract 674

M Hadjipanayiotou*, L Verhaeghe**, L M Labban, A Shurbaji, Abd El-Rahman Kronfoleh, M Al-Wadi, M Amin, T Naigm, H El-Said and Abdul Kader Al-Haress

Animal Production Research Division, Deir El-Hajjar, Ministry of Agricultural and Agrarian Reform, Damascus, Syria

(Present address: *Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus; **FAO, Animal Production and Health Division, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy).

Livestock Research for Rural Development 1993 5(1): 30-38.

Silages made of poultry litter (40% of total DM) with forage maize (56% of total DM), molasses (2%) and whey (2%), and/or poultry litter with sugar-beet pulp (1/4-5 parts) or grape marc (1/2.5 parts), were made. Silages had pH value below 5 and a pleasing aroma and colour. Silages were fed as partial replacement for conventional feedstuffs to lactating Shami cows, Awassi ewes, growing heifers, fattening bull calves, young Awassi ramlambs and Syrian Mountain kids. Animals on silages performed better than, or at least equally well as, those on the control diet. No disease problems were encountered from including poultry excreta silage in the diets. The energy value of poultry litter-forage maize silage based on animal performance data was estimated at 2.28 (bull- fattening study) and 1.97 (Shami growing heifers study) Mcal ME/kg DM. The corresponding ME value of sugar-beet pulp-poultry litter silage was 2.18 Mcal ME/kg DM. The nutritive value (per Syrian Pound spent) of the silages was significantly greater than that of barley when the prevailing prices of barley are taken into consideration. This higher value certainly covers the additional expenses associated with ensiling and improves the economics of the Syrian farmers using these silages.