Replacement of Concentrate Mix with Improved Forages for Afar Goats under Semi Intensive Production System Meet to Export Market Weight

The experiment was conducted with the objective of to evaluate the comparative feeding value of improved forages as a replacement of concentrate mix with its economic benefits on feed intake, body weight gain and carcass parameters of Afar goats. Twenty-five yearling intact male Afar goats with initial mean body weight of 15.05±1.25 (mean ± SD) were used for the experiment in randomized complete block design. The experimental animals were grouped in to five blocks of five animals based on their initial body weight and each animal within each block was randomly assigned to one of the five treatment diets. Treatments were grazing (Ad libitum) + 100% concentrate mix (wheat bran and noug seed cake) (T1), grazing (Ad libitum) + 100 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) (T2), grazing (Ad libitum) + 50 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) + 50% concentrate mix (T3), grazing (Ad libitum) + 25 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) + 75% concentrate mix (T4), and grazing (Ad libitum) + 75 % mixed forage (Rhodes and cowpea) + 25% concentrate mix (T5). The experiment was consisted of feeding trial followed by carcass evaluation. The supplement given at the rate of 300gDM/head/day. Water and mineralized salt block were available free of choice. The concentrate mix was 2:1 (wheat bran and Noug seed cake. The CP content of the NSC (Noug seed cake), WB (wheat bran), cowpea and Rhodes grass were 31.3, 17.4, 16.9 and 8.6 %, respectively. Organic matter and basal intake were not significant difference (P>0.05) among the treatments, while intake of supplement was slightly higher (P<0.05) for T1, T4, T3, than T5 and T2 respectively. Average daily gain in was higher 110g/d (T4). Hot carcass weight was slightly higher (P<0.05) for T4 10.82 kg. The use of sole cowpea and Rhodes grass mix instead of concentrate mix was reduces feed cost and increase net return. Mixture of cowpea and Rhodes grass as sole supplement is relatively comparable to the supplementary value of concentrate mixture to improve Afar goat performance but forage mix was required higher (p<0.05) feed to bring the same weight to other concentrate contained treatment diets.