A feeding trial was conducted using sainfoin hay at 0, 10, 20, and 30% on a dry matter basis of inclusion to yearling rams placed on, T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively, to substitute Noug seed cake in concentrate (wheat bran + Noug seed cake + common salt + wheat straw as a basal diet). Yearling 24 rums were selected on the basis of age and weight similarity and randomly assigned to the four treatments in RCBD with six replicates. At the end of the 90-day feeding trial, three sheep per treatment were randomly assigned either for the digestibility trial and/or carcass characteristics evaluation. Crude protein (CP) digestibility, daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were recorded the highest in T4 and T2. Lower dressing percentage with higher ether extract recorded in T1. The rib eye muscle CP was recorded highest in T2 and T3. Lower water-to-protein ratio and higher caloric value was higher in T2 and T3, and T2 respectively. The marginal rate of return was the highest in T4, followed by T2. Therefore, the inclusion of a graded-level f sainfoin hay as a substitute for the expensive Noug seed protein in a tropical poor roughage basal diet seems to be appealing under the current Ethiopian condition.

Keywords: feed conversion efficiency, noug seed cake, sainfoin hay, nutrient digestibility, nutrient retention, water to protein ratio, weight gain