Carcass Traits and Leather Quality Characteristics of Blackhead Ogaden Sheep Fed Different

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of varying level of roughage to concentrate ratios on carcass traits and leather quality characteristics of Blackhead Ogaden sheep aged 2 years (20.8±1.8 initial body weight). Twenty four lambs were blocked into 6 groups of four lambs based on initial body weight and randomly assigned within group to 4 diets. Roughage composed of natural grass hay and haricot bean hauls (5050 ratio) and concentrate mixture composed of wheat bran (69%) and 31% of oil seed meal (noug seed cake and cottonseed meal in the ratio of 1.11) were offered at roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratios of 60R40C, 50R50C, 40R60C, and 30R70C. Roughage and supplement were offered separately and percentages of the two feeds were determined based on ad libitum consumption of individual animal on dry matter (DM) basis. After the completion of stall feeding, animals were slaughtered for carcass parameters and leather quality evaluation. Slaughter body weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage as a proportion of slaughter body weight, empty body weight, and total usable products are greater in group consumed 30R70C than 60R40C ration (P<0.05). Fat content and elongation percentage of leather produced from sheep consumed 60R40C was higher (p<0.05) than 30R70C. However, the other chemical and physico-mechanical quality of leather were not affect by the treatment diet (P>0.05). Thus, we conclude that feeding of roughage and concentrate at the ratio of 30R70C could be recommended as better feeding strategy for better performances of finishing sheep