The effect of using silages prepared from different proportions of peanut fodder and whole crop maize on the performance and blood parameters of Moghani male lambs

Supply of cheap fodder with good nutritional value is one of the important issues of tropical countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of replacing different levels of peanut silage with corn silage and the effects of this replacement on performance and blood parameters of Moghani lambs. In this research, peanut fodder was replaced with corn silage in proportions of 0 (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100% and silage was prepared for four weeks. A number of 30 Moghani male lambs with an average weight of 30 kg were selected and fed with experimental diets in the form of a completely randomize design in separate locations in 5 treatments and each treatment with 6 repetitions for 70 days. One day before the beginning of the experimental period and one day before the end of the experimental period, blood sample was drawn through the jugular vein of the lambs. The results of this research show that replacing 25% of peanut fodder with a treatment containing ensiled corn fodder had no significant effect on the average daily weight gain and the final weight of lambs compared to the control treatment, but with the increase in the level of peanut fodder replacement, the daily weight gain increased; and as a result, the final weight decreased significantly. Although no significant difference was observed in terms of dry matter consumption between the experimental treatments, but the feed conversion ratio was significantly affected by the experimental treatments. The most appropriate feed conversion ratio was related to the control treatment and the treatment containing 25% peanut fodder and with the increase of the replacement level of peanut fodder from 25%, the feed conversion ratio increased significantly. Regarding the tested blood parameters, no significant difference were observed in terms of albumin and cholesterol between the experimental treatments, but total protein, triglyceride and blood glucose were significantly affected by the experimental treatments. The complete replacement of peanut fodder silage instead of corn silage caused a significant drop in the blood glucose of the lambs, while the lowest amount of blood protein was observed in the control treatment. In general, it seems that peanut fodder silage can be substituted for corn silage at the level of 25% in the diet of fattening lambs without any negative effect on performance and blood parameters.