M. K. KHALAFALLA and T. A. MOHAMMED.

Department of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Production, University of Khartoum, P. 0. box 32, Khartoum North, Sudan.

SUMMARY

The effects of the partial replacement of a conventional concentrate diet with cotton gin trash (w/ w) were investigated using feeding and nitrogen balance-digestibility trials. A 10 week feeding trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design employing 16 Sudan Desert Lambs (mean wt. 28.4 Kg). Treatments were: 0%, 25%, 40% and 55% cotton gin trash added to a diet based on sorghum grains and cottonseed cake. The feeding trial results indicated that average daily dry matter intake (1.4 Kg) and mean body weight gain (167 g) were not affected by the treat- ments. However, the latter parameter tended to be lower (138 gl day) when lambs were offered the diet inpwhich 55% (w/ w) was replaced with cotton gin trash. The same lamb groups and experimental design employed in the feeding trial were used later in the nitrogen balance- digestibility trial. During this trial lambs were offered the experimental diets ad-lib. for 10 days of adjustment followed by 5 days of total urine and faeces collection. Apparent digestibilities of organic matter, and ether extract were not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatment but the apparent di- gestibilities of crude protein, dry matter (DM) and energy were lower (P < 0.05) and those of nitrogen were higher (P < 0.05) for diets containing increased levels of cotton gin trash. Nitrogen retention was higher (P < 0.05) for diets containing CGT. However values tended to be higher for the 25% and 40% cotton gin trash containing diets. The results are interpreted to indicate that cotton gin trash can be used to replace up to 40% (wl w) of sorghum grains and cottonseed cakes based diets without adverse effects on feedlot performance of lambs.

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