Productive response and apparent Nutrient Digestibility in hamdani lambs as affected by varying dietary Zeolite concentrations

Abstract

This study examined dietary zeolite at different levels on growth and nutrient digestibility in Hamdani lambs. Sixty lambs aged 6-7 months with initial body weight of 30.49 ± 0.09 kg were allocated to four groups: T1 (control, 0% zeolite), T2 (2.5% zeolite), T3 (3.5% zeolite), and T4 (4.5% zeolite). Growth parameters, apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients, and rumen fermentation were assessed. Results revealed that T3 showed significantly greater (p<0.05) final body weight (45.15 ± 0.14 kg), total weight gain (14.69 ± 0.11 kg), and average daily gain (190.50 ± 1.55 g/day) compared to other treatments. Feed conversion ratio was most efficient in T3 (8.07 ± 0.16), while T4 showed reduced feed intake. Digestibility coefficients for dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and crude fiber were highest in T3, whereas ether extract digestibility peaked in T2 (84.80 ± 0.01%). Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentrations decreased with increasing zeolite levels, with T4 recording the lowest values at all sampling times, while rumen pH remained relatively stable across treatments. The 3.5% zeolite level optimized nutrient utilization and growth performance, whereas the 4.5% level depressed both digestibility and weight gain. The findings concluded that moderate zeolite at 2.5-3.5% of dietary dry matter can efficiently improve production traits in Hamdani lambs.