NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING POULTRY-DROPPINGS LITTER FOR SHEEP AND GOATS/

Three low cost concentrate supplements containing (1) poultry dropping s (PD) 30% (2) PD 22.7% + poultry litter (PL) 7.5% and (3) PD 15% + 15 % PL were processed into pellets. These were fed to meet protein requi rements along with chopped sorghum straw in metabolism experiments to 18 adult Nellore rams and 18 adult local non-descript (ND) goats. Nutr itive value of sorghum straw was evaluated in a metabolism study by fe eding it as the sole feed to four adult Nellore rams and four adult lo cal ND goats. Supplements had no effect on DM and water intakes. Goats consumed more (P angle 0.01) DM 100 kg(-1) BW and less water kg(-1) D MI than sheep. The digestibilities of all nutrients except ether extra ct were comparable in all three diets. Goats had higher (P angle 0.01) digestibilities of all nutrients except CP, ether extract and energy than sheep. All animals had positive N, Ca and P balances. Digestible protein and TDN contents were comparable on all diets. The nutritive v alue obtained by difference was similar for all supplements and specie s of animal. These results indicate that poultry droppings can be inco rporated in amounts up to 30% in concentrate supplements in the diets of sheep and goats, and that poultry litter can replace poultry droppi ngs in amounts up to 50%, without any deleterious effect. Further, goa ts were superior to sheep in utilizing these supplements.