Dw. King et al., EFFECTS OF FLOURENSIA-CERNUA INGESTION ON NITROGEN-BALANCE OF SHEEP CONSUMING TOBOSA, Journal of range management, 49(4), 1996, pp. 331-335
Flourensia cernua DC. (tarbush) is a deciduous shrub with potential as
a high-protein forage source for livestock. Twenty-four Polypay x Ram
bouillet wethers housed in metabolism crates were used to evaluate tar
bush as a N source for sheep fed a low quality grass diet. Treatments
were 100% ground tobosa grass (Pleuraphis mutica Buckl.) or tobosa sub
stituted with 10, 20, or 30% whole pre-bloom tarbush leaves (n = 5) or
26% ground alfalfa (n = 4, Medicago sativa L.) on a dry matter basis
(dmb). Sheep were fed ad libitum for 11 days, after which feed was res
tricted to 1% (dmb) of body weight for 11 days to seduce sorting and m
aintain uniform intake. Apparent dry matter digestibility was not impr
oved (P = 0.2646) with tarbush or alfalfa. Fecal N was similar (P = 0.
1626), but urinary N varied (P = 0.0008) among treatments. Apparent N
digestibility differed (P = 0.0042) among treatments (43, 46, 50, 56,
and 63% for sheep consuming 0, 10, 20, or 30% tarbush or alfalfa, resp
ectively). All treatments resulted in similar (P = 0.1569) but negativ
e N retentions (-2.4, -2.2, -2.8, -2.0, and -1.5 g day(-1) for sheep c
onsuming 0, 10, 20, or 30% tarbush or alfalfa, respectively). Serum cl
inical profiles (day 22) confirmed all sheep were nutritionally stress
ed, but did not indicate toxicosis. Although neither tarbush nor alfal
fa N compensated for the low quality basal diet, N from 30% tarbush wa
s utilized with similar efficiency to alfalfa N. The major impediment
for using tarbush as a N source appeared to be low palatability.