Comparative Utilization of Sorghum Ear Husk by Cattle, Sheep and Goats

Four yearling females each of cattle (105-120 kg), goat (22-27 kg) and sheep(19-22.5 kg) were fed ad libitum Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) ear husk with mineral and vitamin A supplements for 40d. The digestibility of DM, CP, CF, EE, ADF and NDF had no consistent pattern in relation to species. The TDN and DCP contents of sorghum ear husk was 31.10, 33.52 and 28.12 per cent and 1.08, 3.23 and 1.28 per cent for cattle, goat and sheep, respectively. The rumen retention and mean retention times for corresponding species were 110.7, 117.5 and 102.7 h and 93.6, 93.8 and 85.6 h. The dally DM intakes were 2.85, 3.17 and 4.41 kg/100 kg b.wt and 93.2,713 and 943 g/kg W^0.75 and the N VI was 4437, 23.89 and 22.65, respectively for cattle, goat and sheep. Thus, sorghum ear husk may be classed as a tow protein low energy roughage feed.