Effects of ensiled water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in sheep diets on feed intake, digestibility and rumen parameters

Nguyen Van Thu

Cantho University, Vietnam
nvthu@ctu.edu.vn

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate effects of replacement of ensilaged water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) in the diets (DM basis) on feed intake, rumen parameters, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention of growing sheep. Four growing sheep (19.8±0.43kg) were allocated in a 4x4 Latin square design with 4 treatments including Para grass (EWH0), replacement of 15% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH15), replacement of 30% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH30), replacement of 45% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH45). There was a supplementation of coconut meal, soybean cake and urea to adjust the CP content of diets being 17%. Each experimental period was 14 days including 7 days for adaptation and 7 days for sample collecting. The conclusion was that EWH could be used to feed growing sheep without adverse effects on rumen parameters, and the replacement level of 30% EWH to Para grass in diet gave a better result.   

Keyword: lamb, water hyacinth, supplements, diets, Para grass, replacement

Introduction

Water hyacinth is more important in humid and tropical region where feed for ruminants is scarce in rainy season (Kibria, et.al., 1989). In some countries, the water hyacinth is used as fodder for cows, goats, sheep, pig and chickens (Gunanarsson and Petersen, 2006), however, it is as low economical forage because it contents high moisture, rapid deterioration and spoilage (Byron, 1975). Addition, fresh water hyacinth is unpalatable because it contents prickly crystals (Gohl, 1994). These limitations of using fresh water hyacinth for feeding ruminant may be solutions by ensiled methods (Linn, et.al., 1975). The ensiled water hyacinth was used and accepted palatable on sheep and goat feeding (Kibria, et.al., 1989). The ensiled water hyacinth could rather improve on growing performance of local cattle in Mekong Delta in Vietnam when it was used to replace rice straw in diets (Vo Duy Thanh, 2008). In recent years in Vietnam, the sheep meat demand for food consumption has been increased because it contents high nutrition, good smell and delicious with 74-75% DM, 21.7-22.3%CP, 1.86-1.88% EE (Tran Quang Han, 2007). Thus, sheep has been more concerned to development in many provinces of Mekong Delta in Vietnam, where water hyacinth is available with enormous biomass.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate effects of replacement of ensilaged water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) in the diets (DM basis) on feed intake, rumen parameters, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention of growing sheep. Then the applicable recommendations could be given for farmers’ practices.

Materials and methods

Location of this study

The experiment was conducted in the experimental farm and laboratory of Agricultural and Applied Biology Faculty, Cantho University from February, 2008 to June, 2009.

Treatments and design

Four growing sheep (19.8±0.43kg) were allocated in a 4x4 Latin square design with 4 treatments including Para grass (EWH0), replacement of 15% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH15), replacement of 30% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH30), replacement of 45% Para grass by ensilaged water hyacinth (EWH45).

Feeding and management

Para grass was fed ad-lib and supplemented with coconut meal, soybean cake and urea to adjust the CP content of diets of 17%. Each experimental period was 14 days including 7 days for adaptation and 7 days for sampling. Dry matter intake was 3.2% body live weight. The feed was fed at 6:30h and 13:30h. Water offered and refused was measured daily. Feed offered and refused, feces and urine were collected daily during sample collecting periods. Rumen fluid was taken by oesophagus gutter in order to measure N-NH₃ and volatile fatty acid at before and 3 hours after feeding.

Making water hyacinth silage and chemical analysis

Water hyacinth was collected and eliminated the roots and then wilted under sunshine. When the DM of water hyacinth reached around 12%, it was used for making silage with molasses (3.5 kg molasses for 100 kg of fresh water hyacinth) in a plastic bag of 50kg. The silage was used for feeding sheep from day 7 to day 14.

Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and total ash (Ash) of samples were determined according to OAOC (1990). Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was analyzed by Van Soest et al methods (1991). Metabolized energy of diets was calculated described by Bruinenberg et al. (2002). Apparent nutrient digestibility of DM, OM, CP and NDF was determined by Mc.Donald et al (1995) and VFAs analysis following method described by Barnet and Reid method (1957).

Statistical analysis

The data were analyzed preliminary by Microsoft Excel software and analyzed of variance (ANOVA) using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of Minitab program (Minitab, 2000).

Results and discussion

Chemical composition of feed ingredients

The chemical composition of feed used in the experiment was showed in Table 1. The DM, OM, CP and NDF of EWH were 19.0, 84.2, 11.2 and 54.2 %, respectively. The CP content of EWH was higher than that of Para grass, while its NDF content was lower that the Para grass.  The replacement of Para grass by EWH was suitable due to the DM content was similar for both roughages. The Soybean cake, Coconut meal and urea were used to supply crude protein in the diets and to adjust the CP intake of sheep as plan proposed.

Feed and nutrients intake

The DM and CP intake were not significantly different (P<0.05) among the treatments, however, the NDF intake was significantly higher for the EWH0 and EWH15 as compared to EWH30 and EWH45. It seemed to be the replacement of EWH at level 15% had stimulated appetite of sheep in diet. It leaded to DM and OM intakes of EWH15 diet were slightly higher than the others (690 and 588g/sheep/day), respectively.  In study of Vo Duy Thanh (2008) using EWH replacing Para grass at 0, 15, 30, 45% levels (DM basis) for growing cattle indicated that cattle could consume at maximum EWH level of 800 g/day, while with the similar experiment this value was of 1270 g/day for the buffalo reported by Pham Tuan Khanh (2008).

Rumen parameters

The pH values of rumen fluid at before and after 3-hours feeding among treatments were not significantly different (P>0.05). However, pH value at before feeding was higher than this value at 3 hours after feeding in general. It could be explained that EWH was acidic feed. The pH values in this study were higher than the results of Lubis et al. (2002) being from 6.30 to 6.43. Vo Duy Thanh (2008) reported that the N-NH₃ and VFAs of rumen fluid at before feeding of cattle fed EWH were 11.6-11.9 mg/100ml and 71.7-75.2 mmole/liter, respectively. Then 3-hours after feeding, those values changed to 17.5-18.0 mg/100ml and 80.6-81.4 mmole/liter, respectively. With buffalo fed EWH replaced rice straw at 0, 15, 30, 45% levels (DM basis) Pham Tan Khanh (2008) reported that N-NH₃ ranged 14.0-14.4 mg/100ml and VFAs ranged 78.2-86.4 mmole/liter.

Apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and daily weight gain

The apparent nutrient digestibility, nitrogen retention and daily weight gain were showed in Table 4.

The nutrient digestibility (DM, OM, CP, NDF) were not significantly different (P>0.05) among treatments and ranged from 66.4 to 67.3%. The DM and CP digestibility values reported by Baldwin, et al., (1975) in study on water hyacinth silage for sheep feeding were also lower than those of the present study. Nitrogen retention was not significantly different (P>0.05) among the treatment, however the highest value was numerically for the EWH30 treatment (0.809 g/kgW^0.75). In study of Khuc Thi Hue (2007), nitrogen retention results ranged from 0.987 to 1.13 g/kgW^0.75. The daily weight gain was not significantly different (P>0.05) among the treatments and it was 52.5, 48.1, 57.3 and 38.1 g for the EWH0, EWH15, EWH30 and EWH45, respectively. The results in the present study indicated that EWH could be used for feeding sheep with the replacement level of 30% for the grass.

Conclusions

• The conclusion was that ensilaged water hyacinth could be used to feed growing sheep without adverse effects on rumen parameters and the replacement level of 30% to Para grass in diet gave good results in term of growth performance and utilization of water hyacinth as a feed resource.

References

AOAC 1990 Official Methods of Analysis. 13th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington, DC.

Balwin J A, et al., 1975 Comparison of Pangolagrass and water hyacinth silage as diets for sheep. Journal of animal science 1975. 40:968-971 

Barnett A J  G  and  Reid R L 1957  Studies on the production of volatile fatty acids from grass by rumen liquor in an artificial rumen. The volatile fatty acid production from grass. Journal of Agricultural Science, 48:315–321

Bruinenberg M H, Valk H, Korevaar H and Struik P C 2002 Factors affecting digestibility of temperate forages from seminatural grasslands. ID TNO Animal Nutrition, Lelystad, Wageningen University, Department of Plant Sciences, Crop and Weed Ecology Group, Wageningen, and Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Byron H T 1975 Organic acid preservation of water hyacinth silage. Hyacinth control, 13: 64-66

Gohl B 1994 Tropical Feed. FAO Animal Production and Health Series

Gunnarsson C C and Petersen C M 2006 Water hyacinth as a resource in agriculture and energy production: a literature review.

Linn J G, Staba E J, Goodrich R D, Meiske J C and Otterby D E 1975 Nutritive value of dried or ensiled aquatic plants. I. Chemical composition. II. Digestibility by sheep. Journal of Animal Science, Vol.41, No.2, 1975   

Khuc Thi Hue 2007 Urea treated rice straw as a basal diet for growing ruminants: supplementation with protein rich forages. MSc Thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Lubis, Wina E, Haryanto B and Suhargiyantatmo T 2002 Feeding Aspergillus oryzae legume seeds as protein supplements”. Fermentation Culture (AOFC) to Growing Sheep: 1. The Effect of AOFC on Rumen Fermentation. JITV 7(3): 155-161

McDonald P, Edwards R A, Greenhagh J F D and Morgan C  A  1998 Digestibility. Evaluation of food. In Animal Nutrition. Fifth edition Addison Wesley Longman, UK, pp. 221-237

Minitab  2000 Minitab reference manual release 13.20. Minitab Inc.

Pham Tuan Khanh, 2008 Effects of rice straw replacement by ensilage water hyacinth on rumen parameters, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention of local buffalo. Bachelor thesis on  Animal Science, Can Tho University

Kibria S S, Roxas B D and Ranjhan K S 1989 A ruminant feed based on water hyacinth: its voluntary intake and in vitro and in vivo digestibility Pak. J. Agri. Sci. 26 (1) 24, 1989

Tran Quang Han, 2007 Meat quality and productivity, economic efficiency of Phan Rang sheep feeding in Central highlands Vietnam. Journal of Animal science 3-2007

Van Soest PJ, Robertson J B and Lewis B A 1991 Method for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non-starch polysaccharide in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of  Dairy Science 74: 3583-3597

Vo Duy Thanh, 2008 Effects of rice straw replacement by ensilage water hyacinth on rumen parameters, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention of local growing cattle. Bachelor thesis on  Animal Science, Can Tho University

Go to top