Nutrient requirement and feeding strategy for draft oxen
1998
Seyoum Bediye (EARO, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
Oxen traction is the main source of power in Ethiopian agriculture and it has remarkable effect on agricultural production. Despite its significant role in the farming systems, oxen traction research has not attained the attention it deserves and draft oxen nutrition has been the least researched area even on a global scale. Nutrition-work interactions have not been adequately investigated and nutrient requirements are not yet precisely described. In this paper nutrient requirements (energy, protein, minerals, etc) of draft oxen and the influences of work on voluntary food intake, rumen fermentation, digestion and efficiency of energy utilization are reviewed. Nutritional characteristics of local feed resources and described and strategies to improve nutrition of draft oxen are discussed.
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