Journal of Animal Research & Veterinary Science Category: Agriculture Type: Research Article
Effect of Supplementing Effective Microbes (Em) on Growth Rate of Lambs
- Deribe Gemiyo1*, Shimelis Mengistu1, Fitsum Tessema1, Melese Yilma1, Shewangizaw Wolde1, Tewodros Getachew1
- 1 South Agricultural Research Institute Sari, Areka Agricultural Research Centre, Areka, Ethiopia
*Corresponding Author:
Deribe GemiyoSouth Agricultural Research Institute Sari, Areka Agricultural Research Centre, Areka, Ethiopia
Tel:+251 4655200468/ +251 9244441256,
Email:deribeg2000@yahoo.com
Received Date: Sep 22, 2017 Accepted Date: Nov 28, 2017 Published Date: Dec 12, 2017
Abstract
Roughage constitute a major feed source for animals under crop-livestock mixed farming system of southern Ethiopia, however, this feed is characterised by poor quality hence it is poorly digested. Effective Microbe (EM) is considered as one of the options that may improve poor quality feeds. A study was conducted to determine inclusion rate of effective microbes (EM mixed with wheat bran, EM-Bokashi) on growth rate of lambs fed low protein diets at Dubo Mante research sub-station. Twenty four (24) post pubertal male sheep of similar age (about 12 months age) with an average weight of 14.1±1.74 kg were purchased from local market. The lambs were assigned randomly to one of the four treatments (T1=0% EM, T2=1% EM, T3=3% EM, T4=5% EM). Water and rhodes (Chlorias gayana) hay were offered ad libtum. EM-bokashi supplemented at 5% resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) higher intake and growth rate in terms of weight gain than those supplemented with 3% EM-bokashi. Likewise, lambs supplemented with 3% EM-Bokashi showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher growth rate than those supplemented with 1% while the difference between 1% and the control (0%) is not significant. Similarly, lesser disease occurrence was observed in lambs supplemented with EM-Bokashi than untreated animals. Supplementing 5% EM-Bokashi added 51.2% and 43.6% additional economic incentives over the control and 1% EM level, respectively. Generally, both weight gain and profitability increased as level of EM supplementation advanced. Based on weight in terms of daily gain and economic profitability 5% EM-Bokashi supplementation could be recommended as biologically and economically profitable for lambs fed on low quality diets.
Keywords
INTRODUCTION
EM is a mixture of groups of organisms that has a reviving effect on the natural environment [9] and consists of around 80 species of selected beneficial micro organisms including lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, photosynthetic bacteria, and actinomycetes, among other types of microorganisms such as fungi [10].The technology of Effective Microorganisms commonly termed (EM Technology) was developed in the 1980’s at the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. The inception of the technology was based on blending a multitude of microbes, and was subsequently refined to include three principal types of organisms commonly found in all ecosystems, namely Lactic Acid bacteria, Yeast Actinomyces and Photosynthetic bacteria [11].
The use of EM in animal husbandry is clearly identified in many parts of the world. A study in asia where EM was first introduced and is used extensively reported the successful use of EM in poultry and swine units [12] and is added to feed and sprayed for sanitation in these units. Research in South Africa also highlight the potential of using EM for treating pig manure [13], which promotes growth of the animals. According to [14] EM has shown to reduce odour of livestock waste and accelerates conversion into manure compost. EM as additive improves physiological activity in animals and enhance feed conversion efficiencies [8,12].
EM prepared mixing with wheat bran (EM-Bokashi), creates probiotics, which increases quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in animal body. EM equilibrates the micro-flora within the intestines of the animals and consequently improves feed conversion and weight gain due to increased nutrient assimilation. EM reduces production of methane suppresses disease-inducing organisms [11]; however, this was not tested in Ethiopia. The hypothesis was that non-conventional supplements such as EM could not help to reduce high price of concentrates that had been used in rumen manipulation and efficient use of fibrous feed materials. Therefore, this study was designed to determine supplementation level of EM in improving poor quality feeds n crop-livestock mixed farming systems of southern Ethiopia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area descriptions
Experimental animal and housing arrangement
EM of different treatment level could be added as a supplementary feed with a recommended feed intake percentage for small ruminants [7]. Fifteen weeks weight gain data were collected. Feed troughs were made empty 1-2 hours before the next feeding. The basal feed, rhodes hay (with 85 % DM, 7.13% CP, 70.24% NDF and 60.61% in vitro digestibility) offered ad libitum and lambs were watered twice a day. Three hundred gram of wheat bran (as feed basis mixed EM, EM-bokashi) was offered as a supplement for all experimental animals under each treatment. The treatments were, T1=control (without EM-bokashi), T2=1% EM-Bokashi, T3=3% EM-Bokashi and T4=5% EM-Bokashi. The supplementation was with expectation of total feed intake (600 g) as feed basis in the total mixed ration.
Partial budget analysis
Net profit= (Revenue) - (EM per liter and processing cost + value of family labor + interest on capital)
Data collection and analysis
The statistical model was:
Yijk=μ + Ai + Bij + eik
where;
Yijk=Values of the response variables (weight gain, growth rate); μ is the overall mean;
Ai is the effect of inclusion level of effective microbe (0, 1%, 3%, 5%)
Bij is the effect of block and
eik=random errors.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
S. No |
Treatment |
N |
Mean |
Std. Error |
95 % CI |
1 |
Control, with EM-bokashi |
6 |
0.27c |
0.031 |
0.19 - 0.35 |
2 |
1% EM-bokashi |
6 |
0.32c |
0.031 |
0.24 - 0.4 |
3 |
3% EM-bokashi |
6 |
0.43b |
0.031 |
0.35 - 0.51 |
4 |
5% EM-Bokashi |
6 |
0.53a |
0.031 |
0.45 - 0.61 |
Six types of disease were diagnosed during the experimental period but no death occurred. Systemic infection was diagnosed on all experimental animals under each treatment group with more frequency under control group (3 times) followed by 1% EM-Bokashi (2 times). But it was the same in the other two levels of treatments (3% and 5% EM-Bokashi supplementation) (1 time). Pneumonia was diagnosed with equal frequency in the control, 1% and 5% but not in the 3% EM-Bokashi supplementation. Orf occurred with similar frequency and duration in all treatment groups on almost all experimental lambs. The lower frequency of occurrence of systemic infection under the two higher level of supplementation may indicate the effect of EM-Bokashi on improving health condition of animals [17]. The result is also in line with the findings of [7] who reported reduced disease and methane emission from EM supplemented animals.
Growth Performance
Treatment |
Average initial wt |
Wt 15 |
Wt 30 |
Wt 45 |
Wt 60 |
Wt 75 |
Wt 90 |
Wt 105 |
Average final wt (kg/head) |
Wt gain (kg/head) |
T1 |
14.1a |
16.8a |
16.9a |
17.8a |
18.1a |
19.2a |
19.7a |
20.1a |
18.2c |
4.1c |
T2 |
14.3a |
13.1b |
13.5b |
13.9b |
14.6b |
15.4c |
16.5b |
18.4b |
18.9c |
4.7c |
T3 |
14.0a |
11.2c |
11.8c |
12.6c |
13.6c |
14.9c |
16.4b |
18.2b |
20.5b |
6.4b |
T4 |
14.0a |
14.2b |
14.55b |
14.9b |
16.2b |
17.6b |
19.4a |
21.4a |
22.0a |
7.9a |
For the first 90 days, lambs fed on diets without of EM-Bokashi supplementation were better than those supplemented with EM-Bokashi (Figure 1). However, when lambs adapted to experimental diets the differences between supplemented and not supplemented become more profound. The results agree with reports of [7-8].

Partial budget analysis
Description |
Treatment |
|||
T1 |
T2 |
T3 |
T4 |
|
Initial weight |
14.1 |
14.3 |
14 |
14 |
Final weight |
18.2 |
18.9 |
20.5 |
22 |
Cost of EM-bokashi/head |
0 |
10.72 |
32.32 |
53.76 |
Animal purchase cost/head |
436.3 |
442.01 |
434.8 |
434.78 |
Total cost (A) |
436.3 |
452.73 |
467.1 |
488.54 |
Animal selling price/head (B) |
563.4 |
586.52 |
634.2 |
680.71 |
Income (B-A) |
127.1 |
133.79 |
167.1 |
192.17 |
Table 3: Estimation of Partial Budget (ETB) for lambs supplemented with EM-Bokashi fed on low protein diet.
CONCLUSION
DECLARATIONS
ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE
COMPETING INTERESTS
Not applicable
FUNDING
AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTIONS
AUTHORS’ INFORMATION
Dr. Gemiyo is a Ph.D in Animal Nutrition; Mr. Mengistu (MSc) is again Animal nutritionist by profession; Mr. Wolde (MSc) and Dr. Getachew are researchers in this team while Dr. Tessema and Dr. Yilma are veterinarians.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
SARI, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, funded this study and is dully acknowledged. Areka Research centre provided facilities and financial support to undertake the experiment.
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Citation: Gemiyo D, Mengistu S, Tessema F, Yilma M, Wolde S, et al., (2017) Effect of Supplementing Effective Microbes (EM) on Growth Rate of Lambs. J Anim Res Vet Sci 1: 004.
Copyright: © 2017 Deribe Gemiyo, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
