Abstract:
Conventional forage production has become challenged by many factors; leading to
critical forage deficit. Looking for alternative methods like hydroponic technique is the
promising one. The study was conducted to investigate the hydroponically grown fodder
(barley and oat) biomass yield, chemical composition, supplementary effect on nutrient
intake, digestibility and performance of Washera sheep fed natural pasture grass-hay as a
basal diet. Hydroponic fodder were produced and harvested from the green shed after 7
days of growing period. Twenty-five intact Washera male lambs, with initial body weight of
15,2±1.18 kg (mean ± SD) were purchased and used in randomized complete block design
with five treatments and five replications. The study consisted of 10 and 90 days of
digestibility and feeding trial, respectively. The dietary treatments were 100% natural
pasture grass hay alone (Tl), 100% CM (T2), 100% HE (T3), 100% HO (T4) and 50:50%
CM and HF (barley and oat) (T5) natural pasture grass hay were as a basal diet. The
average hydroponically grown green fodder biomass yield was 5.21and 6.32 kg barley
and oat out of 1kg of barley and oat grains, respectively. The DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF
and ADL content of HE were 92,96.74, /3.22,45.64,34.78, and 6.68,whereas the HO
were 93, 97.85, 13.66, 46.75, 36.56 and 7.57, respectively. There was no significant
difference (p>0.05) of TDM intake between T2, T3, T4 and T5, However, the total DM
intake (g/day) of sheep in TI was lower (p<O.OOI)than T2, T3, T4 and T5. The OM intake
was significantly (p<O.OOOI)different among the treatment diets T2?T4?T3?T5>Tl. The
highest CP intake in treatment group T2 and T5 higher than TI, T3 and T4 in the order of
T2=T5>T3>T4>TI (p<O.OOOl).There were no significant different (P>0.05) between
T2 and T5 in CP intake. The total NDF and ADF intake was in the order of
T3>T4>T5?T2?TI and T3>T4>T5=T2>Tl, respectively (p<O.OOOI).The DM apparent
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digestibility cofficient was significantly difference (p<0.05) among the treatment diets that
means T5?T3=T2>T4=Tl. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in DM
digestibility between T2 and T3. The OM digestibility results showed significant difference
among treatment combinations (p<0.05) in the order of T5=T2?T3=T4?Tl. The CP
digestibility was significantly difference (p<0.001) among the treatments in the order of
T5?T2?T3>T4?Tl. The NDF digestibility in T2, T3 and T4 were no significant difference
(P>0.05) but higher than Tl and lower than T5 (p<0.0001). The final body weight of the
lambs in the control group (Tl) was lower (P<O.OOl) than final body weights of other
treatments (T2, T3, T4 and T5). In other words, there was no significant difference
(p>0.05) among all treatment parameters except treatment (Tl). The partial budget
analysis from the current study results shows that T5 had higher net returnfollowed by T2,
T4 and Tl. Based on this result hydroponically grown green fodder feeding had
economically feasible with concentrate combination and alone.