Effects of feeding different proportions of silver leaf desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) with banana (Musa paradisiaca) leaf on nutrient utilization in Horro sheep fed a basal diet of natural grass hay.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate feed intake, digestibility, body weight change and carcass characteristics of sheep fed a basal diet of hay supplemented with banana leaves and silver leaf desmodium.

Methods: Thirty yearling lambs with an average initial body weight of 15.85±1.

The effects of concentrate supplementation on growth performance and behavioral activities of cattle grazed on natural pasture.

The study was conducted in Manyara Region, to determine the effect of concentrate supplementation on growth performance and foraging behavior of zebu steers. Twenty zebu steers were distributed equally into two dietary groups: pasture + concentrate (PS) and natural pasture alone (NP). The animals' body weight and body condition scores were estimated every 2 weeks.

Assessment of different levels of enset (Ensete ventricosum) corm as an energy supplement in sheep fed a basal diet of Rhodes grass hay.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeding different levels of enset corm as a supplement to sheep fed Rhodes grass hay. Thirty local yearling rams with a mean (±SD) body weight of 16.97 (±1.

Replacing commercial concentrate by Ficus thonningii improved productivity of goats in Ethiopia.

Ficus thonningii (FT) is an important multipurpose fodder tree providing economic and ecological benefits across arid and semi-arid areas in Africa. Despite its availability in many Sub-Saharan African countries, there is lack of information on its effect on animal productivity. Twenty-four male weaned highland goats of age 7 ± 1.

Condensed tannins from Sesbania sesban and Desmodium intortum as a means of Haemonchus contortus control in goats.

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether the proanthocyanidin (condensed tannin)-containing forage legumes Desmodium intortum cv Greenleaf and Sesbania sesban (accession 15019) could be integrated into a feeding management strategy as a means of Haemonchus contortus control in goats. The anthelmintic effects of condensed tannin extracts from the two legumes on H. contortus L(3) larvae were studied in an in vitro larval migration inhibition system.

Pastoralists' perceptions of feed scarcity and livestock poisoning in southern rangelands, Ethiopia.

A survey was conducted between April and July 2007 to generate information on dry season feeding management and livestock poisoning in the southern rangelands of Ethiopia. A total of 119 pastoralists were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Moreover, additional information was obtained through informal discussions.

Effect of gender on meat quality in lamb from extensive and intensive grazing systems when slaughtered at the end of the growing season.

In Norway, most lambs are slaughtered at the end of the grazing season in September. An increased demand for fresh meat during the off-season may change this pattern. Castration of male lambs is not permitted, and off-season slaughtering may affect the acceptability of the meat.

Growth, carcass yield and meat quality attributes of Red Maasai sheep fed wheat straw-based diets.

Thirty-two castrated Red Maasai sheep (12.7 kg initial body weight, aged 12-18 months), were used in an 84-day experiment to evaluate diets based on treated straw upon growth performance, carcass yield and meat quality. The animals were blocked by weight into four similar groups and randomly allotted into four dietary treatments, with eight individually fed animals per treatment.

Meat quality of lamb: Pre-slaughter fattening on cultivated or mountain range pastures.

Many consumers perceive lamb meat from mountain pastures to be of superior quality, a quality that may be altered if lambs are kept for a longer period on cultivated pastures before slaughtering. The objective of this experiment was to compare sensory profile and fatty acid composition in meat from lambs slaughtered directly from unimproved mountain pastures with meat from lambs raised on unimproved mountain pastures and fattened on biodiverse cultivated pastures for 26, 39 and 42days before slaughtering. The experiment was conducted at two different locations in Norway in 2006 and 2007, with a total of 124 Norwegian Crossbred Sheep lambs.

Yield and mineral content of ten enset (Ensete ventricosum) varieties.

A study was conducted to evaluate the macro and trace mineral contents often enset varieties collected from Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia. Samples of leaf lamina, leaf midrib, pseudostem and corm were taken from ten enset varieties at the age of 5 to 6 years during the main rainy season. The dry weight of each variety and fraction were also determined.