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Feed intake and growth performance of sheep (Ovis aries L.) fed with Napier (Pennisetum purpureum Sch.) silage added with varying levels of L. plantarum as inoculant

In the Philippines, climatic unpredictability has been one of the main factors causing fluctuations in forage production; as a result, an efficient feed preservation strategy must be used. This study assessed the effect of various levels of L. plantarum as Napier silage inoculant on sheep's feed intake and growth performance. Using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) set-up, a total of thirty (30) growing female sheep were randomly distributed to five (5) treatments and replicated six (6) times with one (1) animal per replication. The treatments were: Lp0 (control), Lp1 (Napier silage+1% L. plantarum), Lp2 (Napier silage+2% L. plantarum), Lp3 (Napier silage+3 % L. plantarum) and Lp4 (Napier silage+4% L. plantarum). Despite insignificant differences (p>0.05) in treatments on feed intake, a slight improvement was shown in the total feed intake of 3% L. plantarum. A slight reduction (p>0.05) of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein intakes was observed in silages with 1% and 2% L. plantarum. A significant decrease (p<0.05) in NDFI was observed when the level of L. plantarum added increased. The most significant (p<0.05) increase in the growth rate and feed conversion efficiency was observed at the 2% level of L. plantarum. The results showed that incorporating L. plantarum at 2% different level improved the overall growth performance of sheep.

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Author: Mark Anthony T Maña, Richelle A Niepes and Julius V Abela1
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Organization: College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Mindanao State University at Naawan, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, 9023 Philippines 1 Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines
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Year: 2023
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Country/ies: Philippines
Geographical coverage: Asia and the Pacific
Type: Practices
Content language: English
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