Research Results - (PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

Problem Statement and Approach
Sheep in Morocco are very integrated
into the total farming system, especially in the
dryland cereal production areas. Farmers
depend on their sheep for cash income. Thus it
is important to sheep producers to maintain
good productivity (growth and reproduction)
for their flocks. Feed resources, however, may
be a serious limiting factor. In order to make
maximum use of cereal by-products (stubble
and straw), more information is needed about
how to use other locally available feedstuffs
(such as sugar beet and citrus pulp, carob meal,
almond hulls, waste palm dates), of higher
quality, in the right amounts, and at critical
times during the animal production cycle to
optimize economic efficiency.
Justification
a. Stubble Grazing Trials
Cereal stubbles represent the main feed
available in the summer for sheep raised under
a mixed crop-livestock system. Previous works
have attempted to characterize stubble utilization
in terms of collected diet nutritive value,
level of intake, and animal performances. Different
strategies for energy and/or protein
supplementation in relation to body weight
performance have been tested. However, since
the mating period and early gestation usually
take place during the first part of the stubble
grazing period, more attention is now given to
reproductive performance and its relationship to
supplementation programs.
b. By-Product Evaluation and Utilization for
Fattening Lanbs
Growth and fattening of lambs for
market is an important phase that has great
impact on the overall productivity of sheep. The
objective is to achieve normal growth after
weaning and to increase carcass weight of
slaughtered lambs.
The primary goal of this part of the SR-
CRSP nutrition program is to establish feeding
systems for growing and fattening lambs based
on locally available and economical feed resources.
Several by-products have been tested
such as waste palm dates, beet pulp, citrus pulp,
and carob pulp. These feeds are adequate as
energy sources but need to be supplemented
with nitrogen.
Uinder Moroccan conditions, urea is the
cheapest source of nitrogen; however, sunflower
meal as a source of true protein is becoming
increasingly available at a competitive price.
Ammoniation may Lave potential as a method
of nitrogen enrichment of some of these byproducts.
The evaluation of these alternatives
has been the main focus of the recently conducted
trials.
c. Supplementaticn of Wheat Straw Diets
Wheat straw is an important crop residue
in the cereal producing regions of Morocco
and is usually fed to ewes during late gestation
and lactation. However, cereal straw has many
nutritional limitations and must be supplemented
with both energy and nitrogen to prevent
abortion, ensure normal fetus development,
lamb birthweight, and adequate milk
production of the ewe for rapid lamb growth.
Evaluation of cereal straw-based diets supplemented
with energy and nitrogen sources from
locally available feedstuffs and urea is an important
aspect of Moroccan sheep produrtion.
Project Progress and Achievements
a. Stubble Grazing Trials
1989 Trial
The effects of protein and energy supplementation
of ewes grazing soft wheat stubble on
their body weight and reproductive performance
were evaluated in a trial using %ewes
(48 Sardi and 48 D'Man XSardi). The ewes
were randomly assigned to three treatments, A,
B,and C, with two replicates per treatment.
Stocking rate was set at 16 ewes/ha, and mating
started the same day as stubble grazing. During
16 weeks of stubble grazing, ewes in treatment
A were supplemented with minerals and vitains
only; those in Breceived in addition 200 g
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