Effect of Varying Protein and Energy Levels on Ury Matter, Protein and Energy Digestibility in Pregnant and Lactating Does in the Humid Tropics of Southern Nigeria

Abstract

llr!y 11li7tter( DM),p rotein and energy utilizntioiz in pregnant and lactating does were deterrrtiized iiz a study a 3 x
,i /iii forlnllri a conlpletely rati~lonrizedd esign. 111 flzefirstfeeding trial zulziclz lasted for 31 days, twenty-severt does
c~~i cnrs sigrred to rzine dietary treatme~ztse, ach u~itltil zree replicates. Tlze diets fur~iislzedt lzree crude protein (CP)
Irvc 15 (15.2, 17.0 rznd 19.0%) and three digestible energy (DE) levels (7.6,9.6 and 11.5 MI&. In tlze secondpeding
ti 101 tr~liiclla sted for 35 days, tlie does at kindling were re-assigned to anotlzer nme treatments. Tlze diets coiztained
tirvc 1 CP levels (16.2, 18.2 nrzd 20.1 %) and tlzree DE levels (8.6,12.2 and 12..5 MJ/kg). A11 dataujere szlbjccted to
A I I O / I / S I So f varia~~cceo,r relatiotz and regression a~ialysesD. M matter, protein and energy digestibility rn pregvznrlt
tloes ( O ( ~ Y Pn ot slg~zlficavztl?ya flected by protein X energy rnteractzoiz. Tlle effect of energy level was, lzowever,
si;:r~if~cl(l~P~ <t 0.05), and protein level signifi;cfltztly (P-4.05) affected energy dlgestibzlity. DM, protein and
e ~ ~ c~q~yt z l i z ~ fznr op~rerg nant does improved sigrzificaiztly (P < 0 .Ol) for every increase rn energy level. On tlze
ofl~clrla rzd, DM, protein and energy iitilization in lactating does were sigrzificaiztly (P < 0.0.5) affected by protein
alltl orpvgy levels.