Nutrient Digestibility and Nitrogen Retention in Yankasa Rams Fed Different Ratios of Groundnut Haulms and Concentrate in a Total Mixed Ration

This study evaluated the chemical composition, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen retention in growing rams fed diets formulated with varying levels of groundnut haulms. Four treatment diets were designed, with groundnut haulms progressively replaced by concentrate-based formulations. The crude protein (CP) content of the diets ranged from 9.03% to 13.50%, meeting the maintenance requirements for ruminants. Crude fibre (CF) content decreased with increasing concentrate inclusion, while ether extract (EE) levels varied between 2.35 % and 5.2 %. Nutrient digestibility showed improved CP digestibility (33.74 - 43.73%) across treatments, with the highest fibre digestibility recorded in T2 (84.68 %). Ash digestibility increased steadily across treatments. Nitrogen intake was highest in T3 (1.84 g/day), with nitrogen retention significantly (P<0.05) influenced by diet, peaking in T2 (0.41 g/day). Nitrogen was more excreted in faeces than urine. The study concludes that partial replacement of groundnut haulms with concentrate-based diets can enhance nutrient utilization and nitrogen retention in growing rams, with T2 offering optimal performance. Keywords: Nutrient digestibility, Nitrogen retention, Groundnut haulms, Alternative feed resources, Growing rams.