Supplementation with linseed (Linum usitatissimum) cake and/or wheat bran on feed utilization and carcass characteristics of Arsi-Bale sheep.

Thirty yearling male intact Arsi-Bale sheep with initial body weight (BW) of 15.5 +/- 0.21 kg (mean +/- SD) were used in 90 days feeding trial, 10 days digestibility trial followed by evaluation of carcass parameters at Bokoji, Ethiopia. The objectives were to evaluate effects of supplementation with linseed (Linum usitatissimum) cake (LSC), wheat bran (WB), and their mixtures at 2:1 and 1:2, respectively on feed intake, digestibility, daily BW gain, and carcass parameters. The five treatments included ad libitum feeding of natural pasture hay (control) and with daily supplementation of 300 g dry matter (DM) sole LSC, 2LSC:1WB mix, 1LSC:2WB mix, and sole WB. Six sheep were randomly assigned to each treatment using randomized complete-block design. Four sheep in each treatment were randomly selected and used for determination of digestibility and carcass characteristics using a completely randomized design. The intake of hay DM was higher (P < 0.001) for the non-supplemented sheep compared with the supplemented ones, but the contrary was true for total DM intake. Sheep in the control treatment lost BW (-1.5 g/day), while the supplemented ones gained 69.0-104.1 g BW/head/day. Digestibility of CP was higher (P < 0.001) for supplemented sheep as a result of higher (P < 0.001) CP intake. Slaughter weight, empty BW, and hot carcass weight were lower (P < 0.001) for sheep in the control treatment compared with the rest. Sheep supplemented with LSC and its mixtures with WB had better (P < 0.001) performance in daily BW gain than sole WB supplemented ones indicating the advantages of using supplements as mixed rations. Moreover, supplementation proved to be profitable, whereas feeding hay alone led to economic loss.