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Mushunje LH, Marandure T, Chikwanha OC, Bennett J, Hawkins HJ, Palmer AR, Wu L, M C M, Mapiye C. Supplementation of Acacia dealbata versus Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal has potential to maintain growth performance of lambs grazing low-quality communal rangelands in South Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 2024; 56:152. [PMID: 38722369 PMCID: PMC11082017 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-024-04004-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Supplementing livestock grazing communal rangelands with leaf-meals from Acacia trees, which are currently considered as problematic invasive alien plants globally, may be a sustainable way of exploiting their desirable nutritional and anthelmintic properties. The current study evaluated worm burdens and growth performance of lambs grazing low-quality communal rangelands supplemented with leaf-meals prepared from the invasive alien plant species; Acacia mearnsii or A. dealbata. Forty, three-month-old ewe lambs weighing an average of 18.9 ± 0.60 kg were randomly allocated to four supplementary diets: (1) rangeland hay only (control), (2) commercial protein supplement plus rangeland hay, (3) A. mearnsii leaf-meal plus rangeland hay and (4) A. dealbata leaf-meal plus rangeland hay. All the supplementary diets were formulated to meet the lambs' minimum maintenance requirements for protein. All the lambs were grazed on communal rangelands daily from 0800 to 1400 after which they were penned to allow them access to their respective supplementary diets until 08:00 the following morning. The respective supplementary diets were offered at the rate of 400 g ewe- 1 day- 1 for 60 days. Lambs fed the commercial protein supplement had the highest dry matter intake followed by those fed the Acacia leaf-meals and the control diet, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). Relative to the other supplementary diets, lambs fed the commercial protein supplement and A. dealbata leaf-meal had higher (P ≤ 0.05) final body weight and average daily gains. Dietary supplementation did not affect lamb faecal worm egg counts over the study period (P > 0.05). There was no association between supplementary diets and lamb FAMACHA© scores (P > 0.05). It was concluded that supplementation of Acacia dealbata versus Acacia mearnsii has the potential to emulate commercial protein in maintaining growth performance of lambs grazing communal rangelands in the dry season.
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Affiliation(s)
- L H Mushunje
- Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P. Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - T Marandure
- Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Wolston Lane, Ryton Gardens, Coventry, CV8 3LG, UK
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7032, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - O C Chikwanha
- Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P. Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - J Bennett
- Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Wolston Lane, Ryton Gardens, Coventry, CV8 3LG, UK
| | - H J Hawkins
- Conservation South Africa, Forrest House, Belmont Park, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - A R Palmer
- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
| | - L Wu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Marufu M C
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - C Mapiye
- Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P. Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
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Production and meat quality attributes of lambs fed varying levels of Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal as replacement for Triticum aestivum bran. Meat Sci 2022; 196:109042. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.109042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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