Effects of Chenopodium quinoa stalk on growth performance and nutrient utilization in fattening lambs

The effects of quinoa stalk on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and metabolism of Hu sheep lamb in fattening period were studied to determine its appropriate level in daily ration. Forty 3-month-old weaned male sheep with close average body weight were randomly divided into four treatment groups, each with 10 replicates of 1 sheep: control group, 8% quinoa stalk group, 16% quinoa stalk group, and 24% quinoa stalk group. The transition, pre-test, and trial periods were 14, 10, and 60 days, respectively. The results showed that body weight gain, average daily gain, organic matter intake and digestibility, and total digestible energy of sheep were improved with an increase in dietary quinoa straw level. The average daily gain, organic matter digestibility, and N digestibility, retention, and retention rate of the 16% quinoa stalk group were significantly higher than those of control group (P < 0.05), and its feed/weight ratio was significantly lower than that of control and 24% quinoa stalk groups ( P < 0.05). When the dietary quinoa stalk level was increased by 24%, the average daily gain of test sheep was significantly lower than that of the 16% group ( P < 0.05). Adding quinoa stalk to lamb diet could improve its growth performance and nutrient utilization rate, and the appropriate proportion recommended is 16%.