A.G. Mahala, A.M.S. Mokhtar, E.O. Amasiab and B.A. AttaElmnan
To highlight the possibility of introducing the sugarcane tops as part of a fattening ration for ruminant, sugarcane tops at levels of 20% and 30% were added to conventional fattening rations and fed to four groups of calves of deferent Friesian and Kanana blood levels 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 (Friesian x Kenana) and pure local Kenana ecotype. Each blood group was divided into equal two subgroups. The average initial live body weights were 77.5, 90.3, 12.5 and 156 kg for the four subgroups respectively that fed ration A (20% sugarcane tops) and 77.5, 95, 129 and 156 kg for the second four subgroups that fed ration B (30% sugarcane tops) respectively. Dry matter intake, live weight gain and feed conversion ratios were carried out for the two rations and carcass weight in all animal groups were detected. The average dry matter intake as percentage of body weight for ration A and ration B was 3.04 and 2.17, 2.84 and 2.54, 2.78 and 3.18 and 3.5 and 3.24 for the four experimental animal groups respectively. Low values were observed in 50% blood group particularly in ration B and 5/8 blood group in both ration A and B. There were no significant differences between the two rations A and B in term of average daily gain for 1/2, 3/4 and local groups. Those gained 0.36, 0.73, and 0.71 and 0.70 kg/day respectively when fed ration A, and gained 0.44, 0.66 and 0.70 kg/day when fed ration B. In group 5/8 (Friesian x Kenana) there was a significant (P<0.05) higher 0.62 kg/day gain in ration B than 0.36 kg/day in ration A. Similarly there were no significant difference between the two rations A and B in term of feed conversion ratio for 1/2, 3/4 (Friesian x Kenana) and the local groups, 8.33,6.45 and 7.45 and 8.00 and 9.90 and 9.06 respectively while there were significant difference in the blood group 62.5% (P<0.05).9.29 kg DM/kg gain for ration A and 5.33 kg DM/kg gain for ration B. Also there were no significant differences due to rations in term of carcass weight, 86.0 and 88.5, 47.7 and 48.3, 54.0 and 56.5 and 67.3 and 58.0kg for the local 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 (Friesian x Kenana) calves groups in ration A and B respectively. Sugar cane tops effectively constituted the large proportion of total mixed ration for fattening calves. This large contribution in diet will reduce the production cost and increase the benefit.
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