Influence of dietary protected lipids on intake and digestibility of straw based diets in Deccani sheep

Four iso-nitrogenous diets (crude protein: 0.12) with 0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 calcium soap of red palm oil (RPO) were evaluated involving four native Deccani rams (37.05±0.98 kg) in a 4×4 Latin square design (LSD) experiment. Diet with 0.15 Ca-LCFA non-significantly decreased the total DMI as compared to diets with 0, 0.05 and 0.10 levels of inert fat. Average DMI (g per day) from sorghum straw in sheep fed Ca-LCFA at 0.15 level was 443, which was lower as compared to 623, 606 and 579 in diets containing 0, 0.05 (P<0.05) and 0.10 (P>0.05) levels, respectively. The decrease in the digestibility of organic nutrients except for EE did not differ significantly due to addition of fat. The EE (P<0.01) digestibility was higher by 0.22, 0.25 and 0.23 units, respectively in diets with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 Ca-LCFA in comparison to control diet. The DCP value of diets was not influenced by the addition of inert fat at different levels. The DE and ME values (MJ kg−1 DM) of the diet with 0.15 Ca-LCFA was significantly higher (P<0.01) as compared to control diet. However, the energy values of the diets with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 of Ca-LCFA were not significantly different from each other. Further, N retention and the intake of nutrients were non-significantly higher in diet with 0.10 Ca-LCFA in comparison to diets with 0, 0.05, and 0.15 Ca-LCFA. Daily DCP (g per day) and ME (MJ per day) intakes were 75, 8.0; 76, 8.5; 85, 9.2 and 75, 8.5 for diets containing 0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 ruminally inert fat. Inclusion of calcium soap of RPO at 0.10 level in the diet of sheep was found to improve the nutrient utilization without affecting the DMI from straw based diets in Deccani sheep.