Effect of replacing conventional concentrate mixture with Grewia oppositifolia leaves on digestibility and nitrogen retention in sheep fed a basal diet of sorghum hay

A study was conducted in a 4x4 Latin square design, involving four wethers (F1, Kaghani x Rambouillet) and four diets. The wethers were kept in individual metabolic crates and fed a basal diet of chopped sorghum hay. The basal diet was supplemented on iso-nitrogenous basis with 100/0 (Diet-A), 50/50 (Diet-B), 25/75 (Diet- C) and 0/100 (Diet-D) ratios of dried Grewia oppositifolia leaves and concentrate mixture, respectively. The concentrate mixture was prepared by mixing equal parts of cottonseed cake and wheat bran (w/w). Each period consisted of 10 days adaptation followed by five days data collection. Dry matter intake of sorghum hay was not significantly different on the four diets and averaged 508.48, 480.79, 501.37 and 526.53 g/d on diets A, B, C and D, respectively. Diet composition tended to influence (P=0.09) the total dry matter intake by sheep and was maximum (P less than 0.05) on Diet-A. In-vivo digestibility of DM and N were not affected by the diets and averaged 48.94% and 68.30%, respectively across the four diets. Daily excretion of faecal-N and urinary- N by the animals receiving the four diets were same and did not vary due to diet composition. Similarly, the quantity of dietary-N retained by the animals did not vary due to diets. Mean N retention was 6.98, 6.45, 6.54 and 6.98 g/d in wethers receiving diets A, B, C and D, respectively. It was concluded that dried leaves of Grewia oppositifolia effectively replaced the conventional concentrate mixture in the diets without affecting digestibility and N utilization in the sheep. Nitrogen retention in the body was same when concentrate mixture or Grewia oppositifolia leaves were added to the diets.