T. A. Mohammed and F.E. Salih*
Institute of Animal Production University of Khartoum
P.O. Box, 32 Khartoum North, Sudan
SUMMARY
Chemical and biological methods were used to determine the effects of stage of development of low rain woodland savannah pasture on its mutritive value. The nutrient composition of pasture herbage, total digestible nutrient (TDN) contents, voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) and liveweight changes of sheep were determined at three weeks intervals from the time of uniform initial growth of herbage and thereafter for a period of 27 weeks.
The results indicated that percentages of DM, ADF, Lignin and ash of pasture increased significantly (P < 0.05) from 12.5, 32.8, 4.7 and 6.5 at 3 wks age to 86.5, 49.5, 10.7 and 14.2 respectively when pasture herbage was 27 wks old. Boday wieght gain and VDMI of herbage by rams decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as herbage matured. VDMI (g / kg metabolic body size) was 43.5 and 29.8 when herbage age was 3 and 27 wks old respectively. Pasture herbage less than 18 wks supported body weight gains of more than 100g/d. Lambs fed pasture older than 18 wks experienced considerable loss of bodyweight.
* Dept. of Range and Pasture, Ministry of Agric., Natural and Animal Resources Kadugli, Kordofan Province, Sudan .
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