A New Potential Roughage Source for Ruminants in Egypt: Processing and Utilization of Water Hyacinth as hay or Silage

Résumé fourni par la source

Trials were conducted to evaluate water hyacinth (WH) plants, dried as hay (WHH) or ensiled (WHS) for feeding water buffalo steers, sheep and goats. It was found that one ton of fresh plants can be harvested from 100 m2/year to produce 100 kg of dried plants (90% DM). Sun drying requires 25-35 days and oven drying needs 48 h. Sugar cane molasses was found to be essential for starting fermentation which lasts for 60 days. Successful feed ingredients used (for silage making) were: chopped corn stalks, chopped rice straw, wheat bran, ground corn and urea. Best quality silage mixtures were those containing 40-70% WH plus 25% ground corn. Dry matter intakes (g/kg 0.75) and nutrients digestibility by water buffalo steers of WHH or WHS were greater (P<0.01) than either sheep or goats (WHH) and sheep ate and digested more (P<0.05) nutrients than goats Water hyacinth hay replaced 50% of berseem hay (50% TDN and 8% DP) in ration for sheep.

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