Effects of ensiled Brachiaria decumbens on saponin reduction, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, body morphometrics, carcass traits, and meat quality in sheep

This study assessed the effects of feeding ensiled Brachiaria decumbens on nutrient digestibility, growth performance, body measurements, carcase traits, and meat quality in sheep over a 98–day feeding trial. Eighteen eight-month-old male Dorper cross sheep were randomly assigned to three diets, with six animals per treatment consisted of fresh Pennisetum purpureum as the control (T1), fresh B. decumbens (T2), and ensiled B. decumbens (T3). All sheep were housed individually in metabolic cages. Feed intake and refusals were recorded daily, body weight and morphometric measurements were taken weekly, and faeces were collected to determine apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility. At the end of the trial, all animals were slaughtered for carcase and meat quality evaluation. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test. Sheep fed ensiled B. decumbens (T3) showed significantly higher apparent digestibility of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre (p < 0.001) than those in T1 and T2. Although T3 had lower dry matter intake, these sheep achieved greater body weight gain, average daily gain, and a 5.23% lower feed conversion ratio relative to the control group. They also recorded significantly higher body length, heart girth, thorax height, wither height, and body length index (p < 0.05). Most carcase traits improved significantly in T3 (p < 0.001), except lung, liver, heart, and head weights, while meat quality remained unaffected. Overall, ensiled B. decumbens improved digestibility, growth, body development, and carcase yield without reducing meat quality.