DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2016.v03i02.013

Pages: 147-154

Sixteen (16) yearly West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep were assigned randomly to four (4) dietary treatments viz: Moringa oleifera multi-nutrient blocks (MMNB), Gmelina arborea multinutrient blocks (GMNB), Tithonia diversifolia multi-nutrient blocks (TMNB) and the control (Panicum+Cassava peels). The weight gains were 3.5±0.04kg, 3.4±0.03kg, 3.4±0.02kg and 2.1±0.04kg for GMNB, MMNB, TMNB and control fed sheep respectively. The digestibility coefficient of sheep fed Gmelina arborea-based multinutrient blocks were 64.52%, 34.57%, 19.98%, 44.03% and 35.00% for DM, CP, EE, CF and NFE respectively. The digestibility coefficient of sheep fed Moringa oleifera-based multinutrient blocks were 64.86%, 35.89%, 17.13%, 47.12% and 33.75% for DM, CP, EE, CF and NFE respectively. The digestibility coefficient of sheep fed Tithonia –based multinutrient blocks were 65.65%, 32.64%, 16.51%, 55.23% and 31.17% for DM, CP, EE, CF and NFE respectively while the digestibility coefficient of sheep fed the control diets were 54.89%, 8.74%, 4.74, 35.08% and 29.25% for DM, CP, EE, CF and NFE respectively. The feed intake were 1.8±0.02kg, 1.7±0.05kg and 1.6±0.03kg for TMNB, MMNB and GMNB respectively compared to 1.5±0.03kg control. The nitrogen balance were 4.81±0.04g day-1, 5.02±0.05g day-1 and 5.35±0.05g day-1 for GMNB. MMNB and TMNB respectively compared to 1.04±0.03g day-1 for the control. This indicated that multinutrient blocks enhance better performance than the control treatment. Nitrogen retention were 52.38±0.22g day-1, 52.34±0.02g day-1 and 46.92±0.10g day-1 for TMNB, MMNB and GMNB respectively compared to 40.52±2.42g day-1 for the control. This shows that the amount of nitrogen retained in the animal body is significantly higher than the control (Panicum maximum and cassava peels) when fed GMNB, MMNB and TMNB based multinutrient blocks..........