Energy and Protein Requirements of West African Dwarf Sheep

Abstract

While large amounts of data have accumulated on the energy and protein requirements for maintenance, growth and lactation of temperate breeds of sheep, information on those of West African Dwarf Sheep are scanty. Attempts were, therefore made to ascertain some of these requirements during digestion trials in which four rations, containing increasing levels of energy, were fed twelve dwarf sheep. Iso-proteinaceous rations containing maize, ground-nut cake, palm-kernel meal and rice bran, with minerals, and vitamin supplements, were fed as supplementary rations to a forage grass basal diet, the digestibility of which had previously been determined with the sheep. The forage plus each ration was later fed simultaneously and the digestion coefficients of the nutrients and energy. The amount of total digestible nutrients (T.O.N.), digestible and metabolizable energy consumed from the forage and from each ration was then assessed. Since the 'animals gained weight on these rations, the energy and protein levels consumed and utilized for such body weight gain were ascertained