Evaluation of untreated and urea molasses–treated finger millet (Eleusine coracana) straw and lowland bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) leaf hay on nutritive values and the performance of Gumuz sheep in Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of untreated and urea molasses–treated finger millet straw and lowland bamboo leaf hay feeding on nutrient utilization, growth and carcass characteristics of Gumuz sheep. Twenty yearling intact male sheep with initial body weight of 21.6 ± 1.31 kg (mean ± SD) were purchased from local market and were used for 7- and 90-day digestibility and feeding trials, respectively. The sheep were grouped into five blocks of four animals and randomly assigned to four dietary treatments. The treatment diets were untreated finger millet straw (UFMS) + 150 g wheat bran (WB) and noug seed cake (NSC) mixture (T1), untreated lowland bamboo leaf hay (ULBLH) + 150 g WB and NSC mixture (T2), urea molasses (UM)-treated finger millet straw (TFMS) + 150 g WB and NSC (T3), and UM-treated lowland bamboo leaf hay (TLBLH) + 150 g WB and NSC mixture (T4). Water and salt were given freely throughout the experimental period. Data were analyzed using ANOVA procedure of SAS software. The result of the experiment indicated that better CP was recorded in T4 (21.8%) than other treatments. The total DM intake of sheep was significantly ( p T3 > T1. Significantly higher ( p