Effect of Different Rations on Growth Rate of Patanwadi Sheep

Abstract

Possibility of replacing the groundnut cake in the ration of growing Patanwadi Sheep, with guar meal, was studied using 18 Patanwadi hoggets in a randomized Block Design. Baled pasture grass hay mainly Dichanthium annulatum stapf was the basal fodder fed ad-libitum. The proportion of the different ingredients of the three concentrates mixtures was such that 200 g of each of the mixtures would supply 50 g of calculated DCP. Mean daily dry matter intake of the hoggets was obsery. ed to be 3.578±0.040 kg per 100 kg body weight. Mean overall weight gain of the hoggets during the experimental period of 20 weeks was observed to be 60.657+ 3.157 g/head/day.The mean weight gains of three ration groups were 57.857±7.558, 57.500 ± 4.222 and 66.607 ± 4.146 g/day respectively. The differences, however, were not significant (P>0.05). Guar meal could thus completely replace the groundnut cake in the growth ration of sheep, without any adverse effect.