FRESHWATER COMMON REED GRASS (Phragmites australis) AS UN-CONVENTIONAL SUMMER FORAGE IN COMPARATIVE FEEDING STUDIES AMONG CAMEL, SHEEP AND GOAT.

Four direct metabolism trials were carried out using four mature males of Sudanese camels; Camelius dromedaries, Osimi rams and Zaribi bucks. Common reed, Phragmitis australis were offered as green (RG), silage supplemented with 5% molasses (RS) and hay (RH) comparing to clover hay (CH) as the common summer roughage used in Egypt.
Results obtained indicated that crude protein and cellulose (DM basis) of all reed grass forms are comparable to those of clover hay, while the hemi-cellulose was remarkably higher than the clover hay. Reed silage quality was nearby to that of corn silage quality in term of pH, ammonia, lactic cid and short chain fatty acids. Most of nutrients digestibility, TDN and DCP (g/Kg W^0.75) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for animals fed green or silage reed compared to those fed the control roughage (CH). Sheep showed the highest values for digestibility coefficients and nutritive value when fed RG and RS roughages. Goats were superior for CF digestion for all forms of that compared to other species. Regarding rumen parameters, however values were erratic and there is no definite trend observed, all animals fed RG and RS showed a very comparable value to those measured with CH roughage. Acetate / propionate ratio indicated a good fermentation pattern of the tested roughages, especially with RG and RS. Although dry matter intake of all tested roughages including CH is less than the maintenance requirements for all species, body weight change and nitrogen retention as well were positive, except camels and goats fed RH. Economic evaluation of the tested roughages compared to the control one indicated that the maintenance feeding cost and price of 1 Kg as fed or DM of the CH is almost 4 times more than that of different reed forms. It could be concluded that, common reed, phragmitis australis, is a good and cheap un-conventional summer feed resource for ruminant nutrition especially as green and silage as well to cover the maintenance requirements or to be added as a blend with other common roughages to widen the summer feed gap.