Desempeño Productivo de Ovinos Tropicales Alimentados con Ensilaje de King Grass y Suplementación con Tithonia diversifolia, Pueraria phaseoloides y Gliricidia sepium

Justification: nutritional limitations characteristic of extensive production systems constrains the productive performance of sheep in tropical regions. Objective: this study evaluated the effect of supplementing diets based on King Grass (Pennisetum spp.) silage with three forage species (Pueraria phaseoloides, Gliricidia sepium, and Tithonia diversifolia) on the productive performance of hair sheep during the finishing phase. Methodology: a 60-day experimental trial was conducted using 12 sheep, arranged in a randomized complete block design. Four treatments were established: one with King Grass silage only (control), and three supplemented with 10% of body weight of each legume species. Each treatment was replicated three times. Feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency were measured. Results: treatment T1 (King Grass silage + Tithonia diversifolia) showed the highest total weight gain (3.35 ± 0.11 kg) and the lowest total dry matter intake (168.82 ± 4.26 kg), resulting in the most efficient feed conversion ratio (27.27 ± 1.42). Conclusion: the results highlight the potential of Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) as an effective strategy to enhance the productive efficiency of tropical hair sheep.