MART-AZR Project Research Report 16: Fourwing Saltbush Forage Compared with Conventional Feeds for Yearling Sheep.

Abstract

Twenty-four yearling Harnai sheep were used to compare the palatability and nutritive value of the following rations: Fourwing saltbush, lucerne hay, and wheat straw plus barley grain. A palatability index showed that there was a continuous rise in uptake of all rations after the second day of feeding. By the ninth day, the fourwing saltbush palatability index was 98%. Weight gain data 1 suggested that after the rumen microflora had adjusted to, the fourwing saltbush, the animals maintained their body weight on this forage. During the last week, there was a slight increase in body weight of sheep fed fourwing saltbush. This suggests that fourwing saltbush could be a useful plant for rangelands in Baluchistan, and could serve as forage reserve species to supplement natural vegetation.