Abstract 82

Adebowale,-EA

Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, University of Ife, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Tropical-Agriculture. 1989, 66: 3, 213-216; 19 ref.

In experiment 1, 96 West African Dwarf goats and sheep were given diets with 40% maize cobs treated with sodium hydroxide 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 g/litre of water. Goats consumed 22.6% more feed (P < 0.05) at NaOH 10 g/litre than at any other level and sheep showed a similar pattern. Water intake increased with increasing NaOH concentration. Liveweight gain and DM digestibility was greatest at NaOH 10 g/litre in both sheep and goats. In experiment 2, the goats and sheep were given diets with 0, 10, 20, 30 or 40% maize cobs treated with NaOH 10 g/litre, or a diet with 40% untreated maize cobs. Sheep and goats given between 10 and 30% maize cobs performed better or equal to the controls, but both species tolerated up to 40% treated maize cobs. Goats performed better on high intakes of treated maize cobs than sheep.