Nutritional Evaluation of Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentas) Plant Meal as Roughage Component of Complete Ration in Lambs

Amaranth whole plant meal contained 12.17% DCP and 52.73% TON in Nellore lambs. In an another experiment 4 Isunitrogenoiis complete rations (CR) were formulated by replacing conventional roughage i.e. groundnut haulms by amaranth forage meal at 0 (CR-1), IS (CR-2), 30 (CR-3) and 45 (CR-4) parts (W/W) and evaluated in a 4x4 Latin Square design using 4 Nellore brown weaner ram Iambs (13.71 ± 0.57 kg). There was no significant effect on the digestibility of nutrients except for EE (P<0.01), among the rations. All the animals were on positive N, Ca and P balances. Nutritive values of CR-1 to CR-4 respectively were 8.74, 9.08, 9.24 and 9.64% in terms of DCP and 65.31, 66.00, 64.94 and 65.23%, in. terms of TDN. It is concluded that grain amaranth plant meal can be incorporated In complete rations of sheep upto 45% level under intensive system of feeding.