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<i>Cistanche deserticola</i> Addition Improves Growth, Digestibility, and Metabolism of Sheep Fed on Fresh Forage from Alfalfa/Tall Fescue Pasture
oleh: Xulei Liu, Fuyao Liu, Tianhai Yan, Shenghua Chang, Metha Wanapat, Fujiang Hou
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2020-04-01 |
Deskripsi
This study is targeted at evaluating whether <i>C. deserticola</i> addition promotes digestion, nitrogen and energy use, and methane production of sheep fed on fresh forage from alfalfa/tall fescue pastures. The sheep feeding trial was conducted with four addition levels with <i>C. deserticola</i> powder, and a basal diet of fresh alfalfa <i>(Medicago sativa)</i> and tall fescue (<i>Festuca arundinacea</i>). Addition levels of 4% and 6% improved average body weight gain (BWG) by 215.71 and 142.86 g/d, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 0.20 and 0.14, respectively. Digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and ether extract (EE) was 62.25%, 65.18%, 58.75%, and 47.25% under the addition level of 2%, which is greater than that in the control group. <i>C. deserticola</i> addition improved energy utilization efficiency, while addition levels of 2% and 4% increased nitrogen intake and deposited nitrogen. Overall, <i>C. deserticola</i> has the potential to improve growth performance, digestion of sheep, so it has suitability to be used as a feed additive.