Voluntary intake and plane of nutrition of sheep fed hydroponic fodder varieties

Voluntary intake and plane of nutrition of adult sheep fed six varieties of hydroponic fodder i.e. Sorghum Sudan Grass, cowpea, horse gram, maize, jowar and barley as a sole feed was evaluated using four Nellore Jodipi rams.  The average yield of fodder  after 7 days of sprouting  from 1 kg of seed was higher (P<0.01) from maize and barley  than from jowar seeds and it was 7.17, 8.07, 7.10, 9.13, 5.38 and 8.22 respectively from Sorghum Sudan Grass, cowpea, horse gram, maize, jowar and barley.   The DM was 10.2 to 12.5 % among the fodder varieties with the CP and CF content ranging from 13.7 to 41.0% and 16 to 24%, respectively. The NFE was lower in cowpea and horse gram fodder and it was higher, 61.94% in maize fodder. Sorghum Sudan Grass fodder contained lower lignin of 3.03% while it was higher in cowpea, 10.94%. The  DMI (% body weight) was 0.34, 1.11, 0.70,1.31,0.41 and 1.06 from  barley, maize, cowpea, horse gram, jowar and Sorghum Sudan Grass, respectively and was lower than the recommended 2.6 to 2.8 % of body weight for maintenance of adult sheep. The DCP was 9.98, 34.49, 23.9, 9.34, 17.91 and 12.73 while the TDN was 45.83, 75.79, 68.08, 77.57, 64.07 and 77.63 % in Sorghum Sudan Grass, cowpea, horse gram, maize, jowar and barley fodder, respectively. The nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance of sheep was negative in all varieties.  It was concluded that economic fodder production was possible with maize and hydroponic fodder as a sole feed did not meet maintenance requirements.