Digestibility and nitrogen utilization in sheep fed enset (Ensete ventricosum) pseudostem or corm and graded levels of Desmodium intortum hay to wheat straw‐based diets

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of Desmodium intortum (Desmodium) hay supplementation in sheep fed fixed amounts of enset pseudostem or corm and a basal diet of wheat straw on intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization. Eighteen male sheep with a mean (± SD) live weight of 20.5 ± 1.45 kg were assigned to six treatments in a completely randomized design and fed either 108 g dry matter (DM) enset pseudostem or 165 g DM enset corm each with three levels (100, 200 and 300 g) of hay supplementation. For the pseudostem diets, there was no significant difference in total DM intake. Total crude protein (CP) intake and N retention increased with increasing levels of hay in both pseudostem and corm diets. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and microbial nitrogen supply (MN) at 100 g was lower that other levels of supplementation. For the corm diets, total DM and OM intake and MN supply increased with increasing levels of hay. The digestibility decreased (p < 0.001) with increasing levels of supplementation. The results suggest that at least 300 g (395 g/kg dietary DM) of Desmodium hay is required in pseudostem diets, whereas 200 g (337 g/kg dietary DM) may be sufficient in corm diets for efficient nutrient utilization.     

Effects of Different Dietary Crude Protein Levels on the Nutrient Absorbability in the Small Intestine of Lambs

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of different dietary crude protein levels on the nutrient absorbability in the small intestine of lambs.Three Kazakh lambs (30 kg body weight) fitted with permanent ruminal,duodenal and ileal fistula were selected.3×3 Latin square design was adopted.A dual-phase marker system with LiCr-EDTA and Yb-Ac as the liquid-phase or particulate-phase digesta flows maker was adopted to measure the true digesta flows at duodenal and ileal fistula,respectively.The results showed that nitrogen intake,total tract apparent digestibility,N deposition,the apparent digestibility of dry matter and organic matter were significantly increased with increasing levels of dietary crude protein (P<0.05),but had no significant effects on intestinal digesta flows (P>0.05).Increasing dietary crude protein levels had significant effects on most part of nutrients of duodenal digesta except fat and purine (P<0.05),while it only significantly effected CP,Ash,dry matter,neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fiber of ileal digesta flows (P<0.05).In addition,intestinal absorbability of nutrients except for CP,Ash,dry matter,neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fiber were significantly affected with increasing levels of dietary crude protein(P<0.05).The test provided basis for further study of the effects of dietary CP level on the digestibility and utilization of lamb.     

不同粗蛋白质水平日粮对育肥羊小肠养分吸收率的影响

本研究旨在比较不同粗蛋白质（CP）水平日粮对育肥羔羊小肠养分吸收率的影响。选用体重30 kg左右,安装有瘤胃、十二指肠近端和回肠末端瘘管的3只哈萨克育肥羊为试验动物,采用3×3拉丁方试验设计,采用醋酸镱（Yb-Ac）、锂铬乙二胺四乙酸（LiCr-EDTA）分别作为消化道固相和液相食糜标记物测定小肠食糜流量。结果显示,增加全混合日粮中CP水平可显著提高育肥羊N的进食量、全消化道表观消化率和N沉积（P<0.05）,显著提高干物质（DM）和有机物（OM）的表观消化率（P<0.05）,但对小肠食糜流量无显著影响（P>0.05）;提高日粮CP水平对十二指肠食糜除EE和嘌呤外的营养成分流量均产生显著的影响（P<0.05）,仅对回肠食糜中CP、粗灰分（Ash）、DM、中性洗涤纤维（NDF）和酸性洗涤纤维（ADF）流量的影响显著（P<0.05）,且对CP、Ash、DM、NDF和ADF的小肠吸收率影响显著（P<0.05）。本试验为进一步深入分析增加日粮CP水平对其在育肥羊体内的消化利用奠定基础。     

Feed intake and utilization in sheep fed graded levels of dried moringa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Moringa stenopetala</Emphasis>) leaf as a supplement to Rhodes grass hay

The effects of feeding graded levels of dried moringa (Moringa stenopetala) leaf on intake, body weight gain (BWG), digestibility and nitrogen utilization were studied using male sheep (BW of 13.8 ± 0.12 kg). Six sheep were randomly allocated to each of the four treatment diets: Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay offered ad libitum (T1), hay + 150 g moringa leaf (T2), hay + 300 g moringa leaf (T3), hay + 450 g moringa leaf (T4) were offered daily. A 7-day digestibility trial and an 84-day growth experiments were conducted. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) intakes increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of moringa leaf in the diets. Sheep fed T2, T3 and T4 diets gained (P < 0.05) 40.2, 79.1 and 110.1 g/head/day, respectively, while the control group (T1) lost weight (−13.3 g/head/day). The apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. The digestibility of dietary CP increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of moringa leaf, but there was no significant difference between T2 and T3 diets. The nitrogen (N) intake and urinary N excretion increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of moringa leaf. The N retention was highest (P < 0.05) for 450 g moringa leaf supplementation. The control group was in a negative N balance. Supplementing a basal diet of Rhodes grass hay with dried moringa leaves improved DM intake, BWG and N retention. It is concluded that M. stenopetala can serve as a protein supplement to low-quality grass during the dry season under smallholder sheep production system.     

Effect of feeding level on ileal and total tract digestibility of nutrients and energy from soybean meal‐based diets for piglets

A total of 36 piglets with an initial body weight (BW) of 5.6 ± 0.7 kg, fitted with simple T‐cannulas at the distal ileum, were used to evaluate the effect of three graded feeding levels (50, 75 or 100 g/kg BW^0.75 day) on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and energy, and on ATTD of organic matter (OM), ether extracts (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and digestible (DE), metabolisable (ME) and net energy (NE) content in soybean meal (SBM)–casein–cornstarch‐based diets. The AID of DM, N and energy and ATTD of NDF, ADF and EE in the diets were not affected (p > 0.05) by the feed intake (FI) level. There was a small decrease in ATTD of DM, N (CP), OM, ash and energy, and in DE, ME and NE content in the diets (p < 0.05) with increasing FI level. The net disappearance in the large intestine (in % of ileal recovery) decreased for DM, N and energy (p < 0.05) with increasing FI level. The design of the study allowed for estimating ileal endogenous loss of N and total tract endogenous loss of ash, N and EE, for estimating corresponding true ileal and total tract digestibility values, and for estimating urinary endogenous N loss. High variability in estimates of ileal endogenous N loss and total tract endogenous losses of N, EE and ash reflects great variation in individual endogenous losses between animals. Estimation of true total tract digestibility of N, EE and ash by regression analysis was affected by their decrease in ATTD with increasing FI level, as estimates for true digestibility were lower compared to their apparent values. The present results suggest that FI level can affect both apparent and true total tract nutrient digestibility in piglets.     

Effect of supplementing Rhodes grass hay (Chloris gayana) with Berchemia discolor or Zizyphus mucronata on the performance of growing goats in Kenya

Twenty growing Small East African goats were used to determine the effects of feeding sun-dried leaves of the browse forages Berchemia discolor and Zizyphus mucronata as supplements to low-quality basal diet, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay, on voluntary feed intake (VFI), digestibility and growth performance. The grass hay and maize bran were used as a control. The dried leaves were then included at the rates of 15% and 30% of the dry matter intake (DMI). Berchemia discolor had the highest crude protein (CP) content of 195.5 g/kg DM, while Z. mucronata had CP content of 169.5 g/kg DM. The grass hay had the lowest CP content of 50.9 g/kg DM. The browse forages had low fibre content [Neutral detergent fibre (NDF); 257.9-369.5 g/kg DM], while the grass hay had high fibre content (NDF; 713.1 g/kg DM). Goats in the groups supplemented with either of the browse forages had higher total DMI, nitrogen (N) intake and retention and live-weight gains than those in the control diet group. The digestibility of DM and organic matter (OM) was not affected by supplementation, but the CP digestibility increased with supplementation. The use of the browse forages as supplements for goats fed on poor-quality basal diets would enhance the performance of the animals.     

桑树作为动物饲料的应用价值与研究进展

桑树种植有广泛的适应性,年产量40~60 t/hm2。桑叶营养丰富,以干物计,粗蛋白200 mg/g、碳水化合物450 mg/g、粗脂肪80 mg/g、粗纤维150 mg/g。桑树用作动物生产饲料喂养肉牛、奶牛、水牛、山羊、绵羊、奶羊、猪、鱼、兔等均获得较好效果。桑树与印度及非洲的一些牧草、树叶比较,其营养效价及动物的消化吸收率均有优势。     

Evaluation of feeding value of forage soybean silage as a substitute for wheat bran in sheep

Twelve sheep were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of substituting wheat bran with forage soybean silage in the diet on apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance. Forage soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) was cultivated in a no‐till, no‐herbicide cropping system with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) as a living mulch. Forage soybean and Italian ryegrass were wilted and ensiled in round bales without additives, respectively. The experimental diets were based on corn silage supplemented with protein sources (tow silages or wheat bran). The crude protein and the acid detergent insoluble protein contents of forage soybean silage were the highest among the protein sources. The apparent digestibility of crude protein and the nitrogen balance did not significantly differ among the diets. In addition, the phytoestrogen content of forage soybean silage was below the level at which animal reproductive performance would be negatively affected. These results suggest that forage soybean silage has comparable feeding value to wheat bran, and can be given at an inclusion level of 17% (dry matter basis) as an alternative protein source to wheat bran without adverse effects on digestion or nitrogen balance in sheep fed a corn silage‐based diet.     

Effects of Supplementing a Basal Diet of Chloris gayana Hay with One of Three Protein-rich Legume Hays of Cassia rotundifolia,Lablab purpureus and Macroptilium atropurpureum Forage on Some Nutritional Parameters in Goats

Growth and digestibility experiments were conducted on growing East African type goats offered Chloris gayana hay supplemented with one of three high-protein (119–128 g CP/kg DM) legume hays, Cassia rotundifolia (cassia), Lablab purpureus (lablab) or Macroptilium atropurpureum (siratro), and crushed maize to investigate the feed intake, digestibility, growth and urinary excretion of purine derivatives. Goats in the supplemented groups had higher total dry matter and nitrogen intakes and higher N retention and body mass gains than unsupplemented counterparts. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fibre were increased by protein supplementation. Animals on supplemented diets had higher fractional outflow rates of particulate matter from the rumen. The production of protein by ruminal microbes and the efficiency of microbial N production were increased by supplementation. It was concluded that a mixture of low-quality grass hay (61.9 CP/kg DM) and either cassia, lablab or siratro hay, and maize grain can provide a productive balanced diet for growing goats.     

农业副产物作为能量蛋白饲料对绵羊生长性能、养分消化及瘤胃发酵的影响

文章旨在评估用农业副产物作为能量和蛋白饲料对绵羊养分摄入、消化及瘤胃发酵性能的影响。试验选择体重接近的36头绵羊,随机分为3组,每组4个重复,每个重复3头。处理1组饲喂210?g/kg桑叶饲料,处理2组用100?g/kg水稻秸秆和5?g/kg尿素替代50%桑叶,处理3组饲喂200?g/kg水稻秸秆和10?g/kg尿素,试验为期21?d。结果：T3组绵羊粗蛋白质摄入量显著高于T1和T2组（P＜0.05）,但中性洗涤纤维摄入量、中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维表观消化率最低（P＜0.05）。T3组氮摄入量较T1组显著提高16.31%（P＜0.05）,T1组尿氮排泄量显著低于T2和T3（P＜0.05）。T1和T3组微生物氮含量显著高于T2组（P＜0.05）。T1组瘤胃氨氮浓度最低（P＜0.05）,但挥发性脂肪酸浓度最高（P＜0.05）。结论：日粮中用100%的桑叶替代尿素和水稻秸秆对绵羊干物质摄入量、氮利用及瘤胃微生物氮合成无负面影响,同时可以显著提高中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维表观消化率。 [关键词]农业副产物|绵羊|养分消化|瘤胃发酵     

Digestibility and nitrogen retention of diets containing different levels of fibre in local (Mong Cai), F1 (Mong Cai x Yorkshire) and exotic (Landrace x Yorkshire) growing pigs in Vietnam

Total tract digestibility and nitrogen retention of three diets containing different levels of fibre [200, 260 and 320 g/kg neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in dry matter] were determined in three breeds of growing pig at an initial age of approximately 3.5 months. The breeds were local (Mong Cai, MC), F1 crossbred (MC x Yorkshire) and exotic (Landrace x Yorkshire, LY), allocated at random within breed (block) to double 3 x 3 Latin squares. The main fibrous ingredients of the experimental diets were rice bran, cassava residue meal and non-dehulled groundnut cake meal. Digestibility of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), NDF, crude fibre, gross energy (GE) and ether extract (EE) decreased as the level of dietary NDF increased (p < 0.001). The r(2) values for the relationship between NDF level and digestibility of OM, CP, GE and EE were 83%, 83%, 80% and 82% respectively. On average, an increase in NDF content of 1% unit resulted in a decrease in OM, CP, GE and EE digestibility of 0.67%, 0.75%, 0.50% and 0.42% units respectively. Digestibility of energy and nutrients was the highest for MC and the lowest for LY (p < 0.01), with intermediate values for F1. There was a negative effect of NDF level on nitrogen (N) retained as a proportion of intake (p < 0.05). Nitrogen retention and utilization were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for LY than for MC and F1 pigs.     

Effect of feeding different levels of foliage from Cratylia argentea to creole dairy cows on intake, digestibility, milk production and milk composition

The effect of feeding different levels of foliage from Cratylia argentea (Desvaux) O. Kuntze to dairy cows on intake, digestibility, milk production and milk composition was studied in the dry tropics in Nicaragua. The treatments were sorghum silage ad libitum, either unsupplemented or supplemented with 2 kg or 3 kg of Cratylia on a dry matter (DM) basis. Six Bos indicus cows of the Creole Reyna breed, with a mean body weight of 386 (SD 19) kg were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square design. Supplementation with Cratylia increased (p < 0.05) DM intake from 6.6 to 7.8 and 8.7 kg DM/day and milk production from 3.9 to 5.1 and 5.7 kg/day for sorghum silage alone and supplementation with 2 kg and 3 kg DM of Cratylia, respectively. Milk fat, total solids and crude protein and organoleptic characteristics (smell, taste and colour) were not significantly different among diets. The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre were not affected significantly by supplementation with Cratylia. However, crude protein (CP) digestibility increased (p < 0.05) in the diets supplemented with Cratylia compared to sorghum silage alone. In conclusion Cratylia given as a protein supplement to a low-quality diet improved DM intake and CP digestibility of the diet and increased milk production, but did not affect milk composition.     

Effect of Fusarium toxin-contaminated triticale and forage-to-concentrate ratio on fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in the rumen

In this study, the effect of Fusarium toxin-contaminated triticale (FUS) at high (60%) and low (30%) concentrate proportion in ruminant rations on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis and digestibility was investigated, using in vivo and in vitro methods. Significant effects of the forage-to-concentrate ratio on ruminal degradation and digestibility of crude nutrients and detergent fibre fractions as well as on the pH value and the concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in rumen fluid were found. The production of SCFA was affected, and the degradation of crude fibre and neutral detergent fibre in the rumen was reduced by the inclusion of FUS at high concentrate proportion. The efficiency of microbial crude protein synthesis was higher in diets with 60% than in diets with 30% concentrates, but was impaired in the presence of FUS in vitro at the high concentrate level. Marginal effects of FUS on the amino acid pattern of microbial protein were detected. It was concluded that the use of FUS in high concentrate diets can influence ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis at a dietary deoxynivalenol concentration below 5 mg/kg dry matter.     

The effect of leucaena hay as a source of effective fibre and nutrients in diets with forage palm for finishing sheep in semi-arid regions

The present study was conducted to evaluate the intake, digestibility and nitrogen balance of diets for finishing sheep, containing leucaena hay as a source of effective fibre and forage palm. Twenty-one male sheep were used in a randomized block design with three treatments, represented by total diets, where the forage was leucaena hay and forage palm in natura in proportions 350:650, 450:550 and 550:450 g/kg respectively. For the pH and NH₃-N in the ruminal fluid, and urea in the blood serum, plots split in time were adopted. Dry matter and nutrient digestibility, and the nitrogen balance were not influenced (p > .05) by the diets. The neutral detergent fibre digestibility decreased (p < .05) as the proportions of leucaena hay in the diets increased. The pH and NH₃-N were suitable for ruminal fermentation, and blood urea was maintained under normal physiological conditions for sheep. Combining 350 to 550 g/kg of leucaena hay with 450 to 650 g/kg of forage palm in total diets with a forage:concentrate ratio of 60:40 in late-maturing sheep meets the nutritional requirements for daily gain 200 g, characterizing leucaena hay as important source of effective fibre and nutrients in diets.     

Quantifying differences in total tract nutrient digestibilities between goats and sheep

Conclusions from narrative qualitative reviews on differences in total tract digestibilities between goats and sheep did not account for variability among studies. Therefore meta‐analytic techniques were used to describe the magnitude of these differences with numerical values. A unitless effect size (Hedges’ g) was applied within studies to measure differences in digestibilities of dry matter (DM; 104 comparisons), organic matter (OM; 93 comparisons), crude protein (CP; 85 comparisons), neutral detergent fibre (NDF; 74 comparisons), acid detergent fibre (ADF; 59 comparisons), cellulose (24 comparisons), hemicellulose (18 comparisons) and gross energy (GE; 29 comparisons). The absence and inability to describe independent factors which contributed to variation among studies necessitated the use of frequentist random effects and hierarchical Bayesian models in the calculation of summary statistics across studies. Digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF and hemicellulose were higher (p < 0.05) in goats than sheep when all‐forage diets were fed. When concentrates were included in the diets, there were no such differences. Differences between goats and sheep in DM intake were found to be non‐significant. Differences in nutrient digestibilities of forages as sole feed implies that species‐specific values have to be used in feed formulation and feeding strategies. However, caution is needed when extrapolating results from stall‐feeding, which is how digestibility data are usually measured, to grazing conditions.     

Determination of physical characteristics,chemical composition and digestion coefficients of treated lemon pulp with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in goat diet

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of processing of lemon pulp with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on physical properties, chemical composition, digestion coefficients and blood parameters. Eight adult male Raeini goats were used in a 28‐day period. The experimental design was a completely randomised design with two treatments and four replicates. The first 21 days were for adaptation, and the last 7 days were for collecting samples. The animals were housed in individual metabolic cages equipped with a urine–faeces separator and were fed with diet containing alfalfa hay (60%) and lemon pulp (40%) at the maintenance level. Collected data were subjected to analysis of completely randomised design. With diet containing processed lemon pulp, functional specific gravity, bulk density, soluble dry matter, percentage of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre and crude ash were significantly increased and water‐holding capacity, insoluble dry matter, insoluble ash percentage of dry matter, organic matter, crude fat, non‐fibrous carbohydrates and nitrogen‐free extract were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Digestion coefficient of organic matter in dry matter and metabolisable energy were also decreased in treated lemon pulp (p < 0.05). Compared with untreated lemon pulp, digestibility of crude protein and NDF was higher (p < 0.05), but digestibility of crude fat was lower (p < 0.05). In general, processing of lemon pulp with S. cerevisiae improved the physical characteristics and increased the percentage of crude protein and the digestion coefficients of protein and NDF.     

Lactation and digestion in dairy cows fed ensiled total mixed ration containing steam‐flaked or ground rice grain

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of feeding ensiled total mixed ration (TMR) containing steam‐flaked (SF) or ground brown rice (Oryza satira L.; BR) on feed intake, lactation performance, digestion, ruminal fermentation and nitrogen (N) utilization in dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows were used in a crossover design with two dietary treatments: diets containing either SF or fine ground (FG) BR at 24% of dietary dry matter. Dietary treatment did not affect dry matter intake or milk yield and composition. The whole‐tract digestibility of organic matter and fiber decreased, and the digestibility of starch increased with the replacement of SF with FG in ensiled TMR, but these differences were small between diets. Crude protein digestibility was not different between diets. The processing method of BR did not affect ruminal pH, total volatile acid concentration, or volatile fatty acid proportion in cows. The N intake, milk N secretion, fecal and urinary N excretion and N retention were not influenced by dietary treatment. These results show that feeding ensiled TMR containing FG instead of SF reduces fiber digestibility but has little impact on lactation and N utilization when diets contained 24% on a dry matter basis.     

Elephant grass, sugarcane, and rice bran in diets for confined sheep

We aimed to evaluate the effects of diets, based on elephant grass or sugarcane as roughage and corn meal or rice bran as energy concentrate, on performance and body composition in terms of diet intake and digestibility. A total of 30 Santa Ines crossbreds (SIC), castrated male sheep with 19.8?±?2.0?kg initial body weight (BW) were used. Six animals were slaughtered at the onset of the experiment to estimate the initial body composition for the other animals. The remaining 24 animals were distributed in a completely randomized 2?×?2 factorial design, with four treatments (two roughages and two concentrates) and six replicates. The sheep were slaughtered when they reached 30.0?kg BW. Elephant grass diets provided higher intake and digestibility than sugarcane diets for the following contents: dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre, minerals, total carbohydrates (TC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN). Among the concentrates, corn meal diets were associated with higher intakes than rice bran diets for the following contents: DM, OM, CP, TC, and TDN. Animals from all of the treatments exhibited low average daily weight gain and low protein and high fat and energy body levels. Sugarcane and rice bran can be used as ingredients in diets for sheep with low weight gain potential. Regardless of roughage or concentrate types used in diets for confined SIC sheep, performance and body composition remained unaltered.     

Nutrients intake,digestibility, nitrogen balance and growth performance of sheep fed different silages with or without concentrate

The experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Pennisetum americannum) silages with or without concentrate on nutrients intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and weight gain in Sipli sheep. Six experimental diets were formulated having 100% maize silage (MS), maize silage and concentrate as 50:50 (MSC), 100% sorghum silage (SS), sorghum silage and concentrate as 50:50 (SSC), 100% millet silage (MiS) and millet silage and concentrate as 50:50 (MiSC), respectively. For this purpose, 24 Sipli lambs were randomly allotted to six experimental diets in a completely randomized design for 90 days, four lambs per diet. The results indicated that among various silage diets, lambs fed MS diet consumed higher dry matter (DM) than those fed SS and MiS diets. Likewise, lambs offered MSC had higher dry matter intake than those fed SSC and MiSC diets. Crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) consumed by the lambs also followed the similar trend. Higher DM, CP and NDF digestibilities were also observed in lambs fed MS and MSC diets than those fed SS, SSC, MiS and MiSC diets. Overall digestibilities of DM, CP and NDF were higher in experimental diets containing silage with concentrate. Lambs fed MS diet had 2.79 g/day and 4.45 g/day higher N retention than those fed SS and MiS, respectively. Similarly, lambs fed MSC diet had 2.24 g/day and 5.12 g/day higher N retention than those fed SSC and MiSC diets, respectively. The results showed that lambs fed MSC gained more daily weight gain had better feed conversion ratio than those fed MS, SS, SSC, MiS and MiSC diets. The findings of the present study indicated that lambs fed MSC diet had higher nutrients intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and weight gain.     

Diversity of chemical composition, dry matter intake, in vivo digestibility and in situ dry matter degradability of oat hay (Avena sativa)

Diversity of chemical composition, in vivo digestibility and in situ dry matter degradability of oat hay (Avena sativa) were studied. Oat hay samples obtained from 22 batches imported were analyzed for chemical composition. The result showed a wide range of variations in crude protein (3.9–8.8%, on a dry matter basis), crude fiber (22.1–35.2%), nitrogen free extract (50.0–66.0%), organic cellular contents (23.4–40.0%), organic cell wall (53.1–70.8%), organic a (4.1–9.8%), organic b (49.0–63.8%) fractions and the estimated total digestible nutrients (50.3–63.8%) from the organic components. Of these, four oat hay samples were used for the measurement of dry matter intake, in vivo digestibility and in situ dry matter degradability in sheep. Significant differences were observed for the dry matter intake, in vivo digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber and nitrogen free extract, dry matter disappearance at 48 h and effective degradability at k = 0.05 h^?1 of the samples (P < 0.05). The results revealed a wide range of diversity of nutritional quality of the imported oat hay that could have an affect on production potential in animals.