Versions
- 06-05-2024 (2)
- 06-05-2024 (1)
Keywords
fodder
dairy goat
How to Cite
Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the nutritional quality of finger millet silage and its impact on performance of Sahel dairy goat. The experiment was divided into three phases and carried out at University of Maiduguri pasture farm. Experiment I consisted of eight treatments (four different spacings and four cutting ages), experiment II had five different finger millet silages and experiment III constituted five different finger millet based total mixed ration (TMR) as treatments which was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). Plant height, leaf number, leaf length, leaf width and tiller count were recorded as influenced by spacing and cutting age in phase I, physical characteristics of the silage and its proximate composition was observed in phase II while feed intake, milk yield and proximate composition of the milk was recorded in phase III. The results revealed that at 21 days after ensiling, the appearance, odour, texture, pH and temperature of the silage had acceptable physical characteristics across the treatments. The results further revealed that plant height (36.54 cm), leaf number (29.95 cm), and leaf length (33.61 cm) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in T4 (30 x 10 cm) while leaf width and tiller number was similar (P>0.05) among the treatments. The findings also indicated that plant cut at 10 WAS had the highest (36.92 cm), plant height (30.30 cm), and leaf number (28.47 cm). The results revealed that the highest average milk yield (0.91 litre) was observed in T4 and the milk quality was equally better in T4. In conclusion, finger millet performed best at 30 x 30 cm spacing and cutting age was best at 10 weeks after sowing, the nutritional quality and the silage physical quality was best at 12 – 20% inclusion level and improved milk production by Sahelian dairy goats.
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