Inclusion of butterfly pea hay in corn silage (with or without cobs) increases nutrient intake and carcass weight in lambs.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of mixed corn silages, with and without commercially viable cobs, combined with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) hay on intake, digestibility, water balance, nitrogen balance, and carcass characteristics of lambs. Twenty crossbred intact male lambs (18.0 ± 4.8 kg body weight) were distributed in a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement and five replicates per treatment. Treatments consisted of corn silage with cobs (CSC), CSC plus butterfly pea hay (BH), corn silage without cobs (CSWC), and CSWC plus BH. Butterfly pea hay inclusion increased dry matter intake (P < 0.001), crude protein digestibility (P = 0.006), nitrogen absorption (P = 0.006), hot carcass weight (P = 0.011), and cold carcass weight (P = 0.009). Corn cobs improved starch digestibility (P = 0.015), water balance (P = 0.021), and hot carcass yield (P = 0.021). Average daily gain was not significantly affected, although a numerical increase was observed in lambs fed diets containing BH (P = 0.062). The inclusion of butterfly pea hay improved nutrient utilization and carcass weight, while the maintenance of corn cobs enhanced starch utilization and water balance in lambs fed corn silage-based diets.