Production performance of Mecheri sheep lambs fed with cottongin trash

Abstract

newline The study was conducted to assess the production performance of Mecheri sheep lambs and newlinebody weight changes during pregnancy and lactation in ewes fed with cotton gin trash. A preliminary newlinelaboratory study confirmed that the proximate composition of cotton gin trash is similar to that of newlineroughage and found no toxic residues in it. Subsequently, a preliminary animal trial with 6 Mecheri newlinelambs showed satisfactoryacceptance. A semi structured interview schedule was conducted with 40 newlinesheep farmers in each of Karur and Tiruppur districts and data were on their socio-economic newlinecharacteristics, general managemental practices and the practices associated with feeding of cotton newlinegin trash in sheep were recorded. It was found that there were two types of cotton gin trash are newlinebeing used by the sheep farmers in the study area called coarse (Kotta Panju)and fine(Micro waste newlinepanju) cotton gin trash. newlineThe moisture content was significantly (Plt0.05) higher in coarse thanfinecotton gin trash but newlinethere was no significant difference in crude fibre, crude protein, ether extract, total ash and gross newlineenergy. The level of phosphorous and manganese were significantly (Plt0.05) higher in newlinefinethancoarse cotton gin trash. The NDF and ADF per cent in coarsewere significantly (Plt0.01) newlinehigher than finebut lignin content was significantly (Plt0.05) higher in fine cotton gin trash.In-vitro newlineapparent dry matter digestibility was significantly higher in coarse thanfinecotton gin trash newlinesamples.The proximate analysis confirmed that the proximate composition of cotton gin trash was newlinecomparable to the composition of other dry fodders used for sheep especially sorghum stover.None newlineof the pesticide s residues were deducted in both types of samples. The level of Chromium, Arsenic newlineCadmium and Gossypol were found within the acceptance level in both types of cotton gin trash. newlineA growth trial was conducted with thirty-two weaned Mecheri ram lambs from four months newlineto nine months of age and the lambs were fed with cotton gin trash at 0, 25