Eltahir , I.E., S.A.,Babiker and O.A. El Khidir

Animal Production Research Centre, P.O. Box 89, Kuku, Khartoum N.
Sudan.

SUMMARY

Thirty bulls of an average initial liveweight of 216.5 kg and average initial age of 20.8 months were included in the experiment. They comprised of 15 Western Baggara bulls, which w ere purchased from local market (Elmoulih) and another 15 Friesian crossbred bulls (Friesian X local Sudan Zebu), purchased from Kuku local market, ■ Khartoum North. The bulls were kept for a period which ranged from 65 to 75 days, during which they were intensively fed on molasses feed ( 11.09 MJ/kg, ME) and Sorghum straw (6.69 MJ/ kg ME) on ad libitum base. Berseem (Medicago sativa) forage was given at a rate of two kg/head weekly. Animals were slaughtered at a target liveweight of 300 kg. The Western Baggara bulls were found to be significantly (PL 0.05) greater in the hide weight and the weight of mesentric fat, kidney fat, reproductive organs and stomach. While the crossbred bulls were found to be superior over Western Baggara bulls in the following studied parameters: feeding period (65 days), feed conversion efficiency (5.58 kg DM/kg liveweight gain) and weight gain (1.36 kg/day).

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