Intake and utilization of sorghum and maize green fodder in spotted deer under captivity

The feeding value and nutritional adequacy of two cereal fodder, viz. sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) and maize (Zea mays), were evaluated in spotted deer (Axis axis) and compared with that in sheep in two consecutive feeding trials of 35 days each.

Four spotted deer (2 years of age, 68.3 kg average body weight) and six sheep (1.5 years of age, 18.0 kg average body weight) were fed on the above two fodder types as sole feed. Nutrient digestibility and evaluations were made through two digestion studies that ended with each feeding period.

Both sorghum and maize fodder provided 11% CP and 4.4 kcal DE per gram of TDN in the two species studied. A lower intake of DM (40.6 vs 47.5 g/kg(0.75)) and other nutrients was observed in deer during maize feeding period. It was similar but lower in sheep compared to deer. The digestibility of nutrients from both fodder types was higher in deer (66-77%) than sheep (45-62%). Numerically, most of the nutrients from sorghum fodder were better digested than maize except CP and EE. Maize fodder provided a higher percentage of NDF (70.85% vs 67.90%) and ADF (37.22% vs 30.74%) with a digestibility depression of about two units in deer and three to five units in sheep. Deer and sheep lost body weight during both the sorghum (2.0 and 0.7 kg) and the maize (2.5 and 0.4 kg) feeding periods.

Although the nutritive value of cereal fodder seemed optimum, a lower voluntary feed intake in both deer and sheep contributed to inadequate nutrient intake compared to standard recommendation.