Effects of coconut oil on in vitro gas production characteristics and blood chemistry of West African dwarf sheep fed a total mixed diet

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of coconut oil supplementation on rumen fermentation, in vitro gas production characteristics and blood indices of west african dwarf (WAD) sheep fed a total mixed diet. Twelve sheep aged between 14 and16 months and weighing 11.22 ± 1.22kg were randomly selected for the study. The animals were divided into three groups of 4 per group. Each group received a total mixed diet containing 0%, 1.5% or 3.0% of coconut oil. The experimental design was completely randomised design. The study lasted 70 days. Results of this study showed that there was a significant (P<0.05) linear increase in rumen pH with increase in the level of coconut oil supplementation: 7.03, 7.09 and 7.15 for 0%, 1.5% and 3.0% coconut oil respectively. However, rumen ammonia-N concentration was not affected by coconut oil supplementation Gas production parameters (gas production from fermentable fraction b, rate of gas production c and 24-hr gas production) decreased significantly (P<0.05) with coconut oil supplementation. There was also a significant (P<0.05) reduction in organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy. Coconut oil reduced enteric methane production by about 34.01% to 40.21%. While blood urea was not affected by coconut oil, there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL). Addition of coconut oil to the diet of WAD sheep has the potential to effectively inhibit methanogenesis and reduce methane production. However, its addition can also negatively impact on the performance of the animal by reducing digestibility and therefore the amount of energy available for productive function.