The Effect of Feed Supplementing and Processing on the Live Weight Gain of Tibetan Sheep During the Cold Season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

摘要

Overgrazing and grassland degradation are ongoing concerns for the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau under the present use of the traditional sheep production system. In order to protect the plateau and still enable the local herders to raise their sheep; the effect of feeds processing on Tibetan sheep productivity during the cold season was undertaken to determine the effect of supplementing with three different feed processing of concentrate plus oat grass on 18 castrated Tibetan sheep (aged 10 months) previously grazed on local range/pasture. The effects on live weight gain, apparent digestibility and feeds conversion were measured. The three different diets were: diet 1: non-processed concentrate + oat grass; diet 2: steam flaked concentrate + oat grass and diet 3: steam flaked concentrate + silage oat grass. The results showed that diet 3 had the highest Average Daily Gain (ADG) (160.33 g). This was 97 g greater than that of diet 1 (p<0.01) and 54.67 g greater than diet 2 (p<0.05). Diet 2 was 41.67 g greater (p<0.05) than that of diet 1. Similar results were obtained among the three diets in regards to apparent digestibility and feedstuff conversion. Compared to the traditional Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau?s sheep production system, all three of the tested diets had higher ADG and reduced feedstuff conversion. Applying concentrate/fodder supplementation and processing could thus shorten the sheep?s lifecycle, reducing the number of Tibetan sheep on the plateau and therefore, decrease the grazing pressure on the open grasslands.