Nutrient digestibility and energy value of sheep rations differing in protein level, main protein source and non-forage fibre source

Two in vivo digestion trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of diet's crude protein (CP) level, N degradability, and non-forage fibre source (NFFS) on nutrient digestibility and energy value of sheep rations. In each trial, rams were fed four isocaloric and isofibrous rations, differing in main protein and/or NFFS source. At the first trial, mean CP/metabolizable energy (ME) ratio of the diets was 17 g/MJ ME and at the second trial, 13 g/MJ ME. At both trials, the first ration contained cotton seed cake (CSC) and wheat bran (WB), the second CSC and corn gluten feed (CGF), the third corn gluten meal (CGM) and WB and the fourth CGM and CGF. Data of both trials were analysed in common as 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design. Low N degradability (CGM) had positive effect on CP, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility of the ration. Those results suggest that an increase in rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content does not negatively affect nutrient digestibility of sheep rations. Corn gluten feed significantly elevated crude fibre (CF) digestibility, in comparison with WB. Rations having high CP/ME ratio had higher digestibility of CP in comparison with those having low CP/ME ratio; the opposite was true for ether extract, CF, NDF and ADF digestibilities. CP level x N degradability interaction negatively affected energy value of the rations that had high CP level and high N degradability. Former suggest that when CP content is high then N degradability should be low otherwise ration's ME is negatively affected. CP digestibility and coefficient q of the rations containing WB and having high N degradability (N degradability x NFFS interaction) were the lowest suggesting that the combination of CSC and WB negatively affected CP digestibility and energy value of the ration. This could be explained by a reduced microbial CP synthesis, or lower RUP digestibility or both.     

The energy requirement of heifers. 4. Comparison of the digestibility and rumen physiologic parameters in heifers and full-grown sheep

In 159 comparative studies with fully grown sheep and heifers of the digestibility and of rumen physiologic values at a variation of the feed ration in the crude fibre content between 112 and 318 g, in the crude protein content between 94 and 194 g and in the content of nitrogen free extractive between 484 and 641 g/kg DM is provided that the digestibility of energy in heifers was, on average, 4 digestibility units lower than in sheep. The corresponding values for the digestibility of crude protein and crude fibre are 12 and 3.5 digestibility units. Due to the lower methane energy excretion of the heifers the difference at the level of metabolizable energy is reduced to 1.5% of the gross energy. The level of the differences in digestibility is influenced by the development of the young cattle and the composition of the rations. In young cattle of the live weight range between 100 and 150 kg the digestibility of the energy is 6-8 units lower than in sheep. A higher crude fibre content in the ration diminishes the difference in the digestibility of energy and the nutrients between the two animal species.     

Possibilities of prediction the digestibility of crude nutrients by fullgrown and growing sheep from the crude nutrient content of the rations. 2. Rations with a higher content of crude fibers (mixtures of straw and concentrated feed as sole feed]

Eight variants of recipes for mixtures of straw and concentrated feed with 10 to 60 per cent straw more or less finely ground (86 to 314 g crude fibre per kg dry matter) and fattening feed for lambs (50 g crude fibre per kg dry matter) were checked concerning the digestibility of crude nutrients for fullgrown wethers and 60 to 80-, 80 to 100-and 100 to 120-day-old lambs which had been ablactated at an age of 60 days. The digestibility for wethers was significantly higher than for lambs, between the age groups of which there were no significant differences concerning the digestibility. In accordance with the results with rations on the basis of concentrated feed as checked and described in the first piece of information, the content of crude fibres in the rations had a negative influence on the digestibility of organic matter, NFE and energy whereas there was a positive relation with the digestibility of crude fibres. The regression functions established for mixtures of straw and concentrated feed concerning the dependence of the digestibility on the content of crude fibres showed a relatively good coincidence in the range of a low content of crude fibres with the corresponding regression functions which were described in the first piece of information for rations of concentrated feed. The equations for the digestibility of crude fibres were an exception. In contrast to this, the quantitative relations between crude fibres and the digestibility as established in the first piece of information for rations with a low content of crude fibres cannot be transferred to rations with a higher content of crude fibres.     

The energy metabolism of growing swine in the liveweight range of 10-50 kg. I. Study design, feed intake and digestibility

Studies of the energy metabolism at maintenance and growth levels after the feeding of rations with a crude protein content of 17-24% and 44-47% resp. were carried out with hybrid pigs of line 150 in the live weight range between 10 and approximately 50 kg. This paper gives information on the methods and the outlay of the experiment and presents results concerning feed intake, live weight development and digestibility. Feed intake increased on average with growing live weight by 30-35 g DM/kg live weight. Feed conversion ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 kg DM/kg live weight gain in the first period and from 2.3 to 3.2 kg DM/kg live weight gain in the last period. The digestibility of the energy in the rations with a crude protein content of between 17 and 24% averaged 80% and that of the rations with a crude protein content of 44-47% averaged 86%. In the course of ontogenetic development the digestibility increased up to about 30 kg LW. The influence of the nutritional level on the level of digestibility was unequal in the experiments. In one experiment a decrease (1% unit) and in two experiments an increase (1-3% units) of the digestibility after the feeding of growth level in contrast to maintenance level could be observed. The change of rations with a varying protein content did not result in an influence on the digestibility level in comparison with the constant feeding of one ration.     

Dietary soyabean oil depresses the apparent digestibility of fibre in trotters when substituted for an iso-energetic amount of corn starch or glucose

The aim of the present study was to establish whether the inhibitory effect of fat feeding on fibre digestion has been underestimated due to the substitution of fat for corn starch. A high fat intake has been shown to lower total intestinal tract apparent digestibility of crude fibre in horses but, since fat was substituted for nonstructural carbohydrates, including starch, the specific effect of fat could not be ascertained. The possibility could not be excluded that starch also inhibits fibre digestibility, so that the fat effect observed earlier would have been underestimated. In this study, the intakes of iso-energetic amounts of soyabean oil, corn starch or glucose were compared as to fibre digestibility. Unlike starch, glucose is fully absorbed by the small intestine and, therefore, is not expected to influence fibre fermentation in the caecum and colon. Six trotters were fed rations high in soyabean oil (158 g/kg dry matter), corn starch (337 g/kg dry matter) or glucose (263 g/kg dry matter) according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Apparent crude fibre digestibility was similar for the rations with corn starch (mean +/- s.d., 70.7 +/- 3.06% of intake, n = 6) or glucose (71.0 +/- 1.90%), but was significantly depressed by fat feeding (56.5 +/- 7.65%). Similar observations were made for apparent digestibilities of neutral and acid detergent fibre and of cellulose. It was concluded that the addition of fat to the feed ration of horses has a specific inhibitory effect on fibre utilisation and, therefore, reduces the amount of energy provided by dietary fibre.     

The energetic utilization of rations with dried concentrates, potatoes, sugar beets, apple pectin and cane sugar by growing, intact and ileorectostomized swine. 1. Results in swine with ileorectal anastomoses

Rations with dried feedstuffs and rations with between 30 and 50% raw potatoes in the dry matter as well as steamed potatoes and sugar beets, sucrose and apple pectin were tested in measurings of the total metabolism in growing pigs with ileo-rectal anastomoses. The prececal digestibility of the energy of the rations ranged between 42% (rations with raw potatoes) and 79% (rations with sucrose). The digestibility of the rations with a 50% quota of steamed potatoes was better by 30%--units than that of rations with raw potatoes. In addition to crude nutrient digestibility, data are given on the digestibility of starch, water soluble carbohydrates and pectin. The wide variation in the N retention of 6-25 g/animal.day can only be partly connected with energy retention. Urine energy amounted to between 2.5 and 5% of gross energy. The average utilization of metabolizable energy amounted to 69.4%. A connection is to be seen with the value of energy maintenance requirement of 646 kJ retention energy/kg LW0.62.d.     

The digestibility of crude nutrients in horses. 2. Comparative studies on the digestive capacity of a thoroughbred horse, pony and wether

The digestibility of the crude nutrients of 6 rations on the basis of oat, hay and wheat straw (in one case a straw-concentrate mixture as sole feed) was compared at a nutrition level of 1.0 and 1.3 resp. with adult geldings of the species "Noble Crossbreed", adult pony geldings and wethers The energy concentration of the rations varied between 424 and 585 EFUcattle/kg DM, the crude fibre content between 17 and 25% of the DM. In the studied field, a good agreement between horse and pony could be ascertained as to the digestibility of the organic matter and NFE. There are partly considerable differences between the apparent digestibility of crude protein and crude fibre. The differences in the digestibility of crude fibre between horse and sheep increase with a growing crude fibre content. The differences of the apparent digestibility between horse and pony on the one hand and sheep on the other were highly significant in all cases.     

Energy utilization by swine of nutritive fiber-rich by-products from the milling and food industry

Growing pigs (from 20 to 80 kg body weight) were fed diets containing equal amounts of soybean, pea (pisum sativum), millet and barley hulls as well as a mixture of these fibre sources. The effects of these fibrous components on the digestibility of energy and nutrients were investigated. Although some rations had a similar nutrient composition, important differences in the digestibility of energy could be observed: e.g. soybean hulls and pea hulls had a similar content in crude fibre but differed in the digestibility of energy by a factor 1:2. The difference in the digestibility of energy was even more pronounced between the rations with soybean hulls and millet hulls (factor 1:11, respectively) although the crude fibre and ADF fibre content were similar. Therefore the magnitude of the difference in digestibility of energy shows a considerable variation between the fibre sources. This seems to be caused partially by differences in the chemical nature of the fibrous by-products. Soybean hulls and barley hulls proved to be very well suited for growing pigs (11.4 MJ DE/kg DM and 10.0 MJ DE/kg DM, respectively). The pea hulls showed a mean content of digestible energy (5.6 MJ DE/kg DM) whereas the millet hulls (1.1 MJ DE/kg DM) didn't contribute significantly to the energy supply of the pigs.     

Effect of the starch sources barley, corn, potatoes and their ration fractions on the nutrient digestibility and energy utilization in ruminants. 1. Comparative studies of nutrient digestibility in cattle and sheep]

Rations with energy parts of 50, 25 and 10% from barley, maize and potatoes were investigated comparatively by means of total metabolism experiments with oxen with a view to arriving at a more precise estimation equation of net energy fat for cattle. Parallel to the investigations with oxen the energy and nutrients digestibility of the rations in wethers was measured. The crude fibre content of the rations ranged from 166 to 271 g and the starch content from 69 to 330 g/kg DM. The daily starch intake of the oxen ranged from 575 to 2739 g on nutrition level (NL) 1.7 and from 365 to 1804 g on NL 1.1. The energy digestibility of the rations in oxen with energy parts of 50% barley, maize and potatoes was on average 73.5, 73.9 and 75.3%, of the rations with energy parts of 25% on average 72.2, 71.6 and 72.4% and of the rations with energy parts of 10% on average 68.8, 69.5 and 69.8%. The digestibility of energy and nutrients in cattle and sheep was in good agreement excepted crude protein and crude fat; these were digested 4-5%-units lower from cattle than from sheep. The increase of the nutrition level by one unit lowered the digestibility of rations with energy parts of 50 and 25% from concentrates in cattle about 3-6 units and of rations with energy parts of 10% from concentrates about one %-unit. Information about rumen physiological data is given comparatively between cattle and sheep.     

The effect of different high levels of soy extract pellets in the ration on the digestibility of crude nutrients, basic and sulfur-containing amino acids of wheat in colostomized laying hybrids

In two digestibility experiments with 4 colostomized laying hybrids each, the influence of 12.5% (ration 1) and 25% soybean meal (ration 2) on the digestibility of the crude nutrients, the basic and sulphur-containing amino acids in the wheat rations was tested. In ration 1 the digestibility of the crude protein was 84.9%, of the crude fat 56.6% and that of the N-free extractives 87.4%; for ration 2 the values were 83.6%, 47.4% and 82.5%. The digestibility values for wheat acquired with the difference method for ration 1 were 85.7% for crude protein, 57.0% for crude fat and 89.8% for N-free extractives; energy concentration was 766 EFUhens. For wheat supplemented with 25% soybean meal the same digestibility value of the crude protein could be ascertained, the digestibility of the crude fat and the N-free extractives, however, was lower than for ration 1 so that an energy concentration lower by 3.9% was calculated. The possible causes of the influence of the different levels of lysine and thioamino acids on the digestibility of these amino acids of wheat are described.     

Measuring energy turnover in the adult swine during feeding of rations with potato starch, potatoes, beets, pressed shreds and coarse fodder as supplements to a basic ration. 1. Energy turnover and energy utilization

25 rations with a wide variation of the content of various carbohydrates (crude fibre 36-185; water-soluble carbohydrates 25-306, starch 272-683 g/kg DM) were fed to male castrates (n = 8) of a live weight between 90 and 180 kg, and energy metabolism was measured. The rations were composed of a cereal basic ration and various feed-stuffs (potato starch-raw and soaked) potatoes (raw and steamed), sugar beet and products from it, maize pellets, dried roughage lucerne, clover, lupin, grass, rye straw meal) as supplements. The digestibility and metabolisability of the energy of the rations ranged between 88 and 62 or 86 and 60% resp. Between 2 and 4% of the consumed energy were lost in urine. The partial utilization of the metabolizable energy of the rations varied between 80% (processed supplement of potato starch) and 52% (supplement of rye straw). The rations with supplements of dried roughage were relatively well energetically utilized-between 63 and 70%. A regressively calculated difference of 17%-units was regressively calculated between the utilization of metabolizable energy of either precaecal or postileal origin.     

The effect of different levels of soybean extract meal on the apparent digestibility of crude nutrients and amino acids in colostomized laying hens

Four colostomized laying hens per group were given a ration of barley and soya bean oil meal (SBM) with 12.5, 25.0 and 37.5% SBM resp. The crude protein intakes were 14.0, 17.7 and 21.4 g per animal and day. The lysine intake raised from 681 mg (group 1) to 1275 mg (group 3) per animal and day. The digestibility of dry matter and of the N-free extracts of the ration decreased with the rising SBM portion in the ration. The digestibility of crude protein remained constant. The investigated amino acids (Lys, His, Arg, Cys, Met) were higher digested in the 37.5% SBM ration than in the 12.5% SBM ration. The following digestibility values for SBM were found by means of the difference method: Dry matter 52.5%, crude protein 83.1%, crude fat 51.7%, crude fibre 5.5%, N-free extracts 50.6%. The level of the SBM did not influence the digestibility of the crude nutrients. The apparent digestibility of lysine from SBM depended on the level of intake and was found to be 82.3, 83.4 and 89.0%, resp. There were no differences in the digestibility of other amino acids.     

Protein and amino acid metabolism in the digestive tract growing young bulls. 1. Flow of bacterial raw protein in the duodenum determined by 2,6-diaminopimelic acid as a marker

The influence of the composition of the rations on the content of diamino pimelic acid (DAP) and N in the bacteria dry matter and on the flow of bacteria crude protein into the duodenum, determined with DAP as marker, was determined on the basis of experimental investigations with young bulls provided with duodenal cannulae and with 28 different rations whose details are described. At a production level corresponding to dry matter intake and a variation range of the crude fibre content of between 11.3 and 29.1% in the DM, a content of N-free extractives between 50.9 and 77.4% in the DM, a content of soluble carbohydrates ibetween 5.3 and 6.4% in the DM, a crude protein content of between 6.4 and 17.1% in the DM and a pure protein content of between 4.9 and 15.5% in the DM, the DAP content of the bacteria DM amounts the 0.350 g 100 g DM +/- 0.090 the N-content of the bacteria DM amounts to 7.37 +/- 1.08 g/100 g DM, there are no relations between DAP- and N-content in the bacteria DM and the content of the individual carbohydrate fractions of the ration, there are positive relations between DAP- and N-content of the bacteria DM, the flow of bacterial crude protein into the duodenum amounts to 133 +/- 14 g/kg truly fermentable organic matter or 130 +/- 14 g/kg apparently digestible organic matter, there is a negative relation between bacteria crude protein at the duodenum (BCPD)/kg truly fermentable organic matter and the crude fibre content of the ration, there is a positive relation between BCPD/kg truly fermentable organic matter and N-free extractives and soluble carbohydrate content as well as the digestibility of the organic matter of the ration, there is no specific influence of the flow rate (kg digesta/kg intake of org. matter) or the dilution rate (g bacteriafree org. matter D/kg LW075/b) on BCPD/kg truly fermentable org. matter, there is a dependence of BCPD/kg truly fermentable org. matter on crude protein concentration in the ration in the concentration range of 6.4-9.0% crude protein in the ration (provided endogenous CP equivalents are used).     

Measuring of the energy turnover in adult swine during feeding of rations with potato starch, potatoes, beets, pressed shreds and coarse fodder as supplements to a basic ration. 2. Evaluation and discussion of the results for further development of energetic feed rating for swine

Energy metabolism measurings of male castrates of a live weight between 90 and 180 kg after feeding rations with a wide variety in the content of various carbohydrates (crude fibre 36-185, water soluble carbohydrates 25-306, starch 272-683 g/kg DM) formed the experimental basis of the considerations. Energy retention depended significantly on the digestibility and metabolizability of the energy, on energy concentration and the crude fibre content of the rations. By means of multiple regression analyses the energetic effect of 1 g digested matter of the carbohydrate fraction was assessed as follows: 12.9 kJ for starch, 12.1 kJ for disaccharides, 11.5 kJ for the remaining water soluble carbohydrates and 10.4 kJ for bacterially fermentable carbohydrates (BFC). There was a difference between the energetic effective value of starch and BFC. This corresponds completely to the difference in the utilization of metabolizable energy between exclusively precaecal and postileal digestion. The following conclusions are drawn for the further development of the energetic feed evaluation for pigs in the framework of the GDR feed evaluation system: --There are to be differentiated fixed values for the retention of digestible carbohydrates for the fractions starch, water soluble carbohydrates (pectin) and bacterially fermentable carbohydrates. --The influence of the digestibility of the energy in the ration on the energetic retention effect of BFC is small. The integration of these variables into an estimation equation for the energetic feed value is therefore not necessary.     

Urea utilization in growing lambs. 4. N balances with unprocessed rations

N balance experiments were carried out with lambs of the ages of 8, 12 and 15 weeks fed with wheat rations with and without 2% urea supplement (N 1 and N 2) as well as with 3% urea and 20% straw (N 3) or with a soya bean meal supplement (N 4). There were no significant differences in the digestibility of the crude nutrients and in per cent of N retention between the individual ages. The straw supplement decreased the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre and NfE. The supplements of soya bean meal or urea increased the crude protein content in comparison to the wheat ration without supplements by 6% in the dry matter and resulted in N intakes 55 ... 60% higher and in 23 ... 38% higher N retention, which was, however, lower in relation to N intake. There were no significant differences with regard to N retention between N 2, N 3 and N 4. Consequently urea supplement to the feed mixture with 14% native crude protein resulted in increased N retention, which was not lower than with a soya bean meal supplement.     

Nutrition physiology effects of dietary fats in rations for growing pigs. 5. Effects of soy bean oil and lard on protein retention in piglets

In two experiments with 30 and 26 castrated male pigs of the German Landrace breed, weight range 15-30 kg, the influence of isoenergetic changes in the carbohydrate and fat fractions of the diet were examined. The effect of the addition of soya oil (SO) and lard (LA) to the diet on the utilization of protein and on the blood urea concentration was also examined. The apparent digestibilities of the crude nutrients and energy were determined using different methods. The following were examined: experiment I: ration I (control), ration II (+7% SO), ration III (+7% LA) experiment II: ration I (control), ration II (+2% SO), ration III (+2% SO + 5% LA), ration IV (+7% LA) In all experiments the animals were fed a similar amount of digestible crude protein of constant quality at constant ME-intake. In both experiments the apparent digestibility of crude protein in the groups with 7% added fat was 4% higher (p less than 0,05) than in the corresponding control groups. The apparent digestibility of crude fat in experiment I and II (in groups II and III and in groups III and IV, respectively) was approximately 87%, when calculated on the basis of faecal fat which was determined by a simple ether extract procedure. When the faeces was treated with HCl before determination, these values for experiment I and II were approximately 6% (p less than 0,001) and 1% (NS) lower, respectively. In both experiments the utilization of protein and the blood urea concentration were not significantly influenced by the amount or form of fat included in the rations.     

The substitution of lysine supplemented high protein wheat for protein feeds during the rearing and laying periods of hens. 8. Nitrogen excretion and true amino acid digestibility as an effect of various lysine levels and successive laying periods]

Digestibility trials were performed with laying hens receiving 3 types of rations containing equal proportions of the same dietary components. The percentage of high-protein wheat in these rations was 74%. Ration I was supplemented with 0.12% lysine while 0.06% lysine was added to ration II; ration III remained unsupplemented. The crude protein content of rations 1 to 3 was 16.1%, 16.5% and 16.6%, respectively. The corresponding lysine percentages were 0.66, 0.62 and 0.56. Studies were made to investigate the influence of different lysine levels on the rate of N excretion and various amino acid data. These studies were carried out during two successive laying periods. Only random differences between the data for urinary N excretion and N balances per kg liveweight were obtained in the two laying periods and for the different lysine levels. The true lysine digestibility was significantly lower in the poor-lysine ration as compared with the ration with 0.66% lysine. Moreover, the absorptive capacity for thio-amino acids is influenced by the lysine level of the ration. The proportion of lysine contained in faecal crude protein increased with the decreasing lysine content of the ration. Similarly, the total number of amino acids present in faecal crude protein increased with the declining supply of lysine. These findings suggest that relatively more NPN compounds are excreted in the faeces if adequate amounts of amino acids are supplied rather than when one amino acid is deficient.     

The effect of dietary fibre on the small intestines and apparent digestion in the turkey

1. In order to determine the feasibility of using high fibre diets in turkey rations, three crude fibre dietary concentrations were fed to turkey hens at three ages and performance, fibre digestibility and small intestinal morphology were determined. 2. Growth rate and feed efficiency decreased when diets contained 80 to 90 g crude fibre/kg; however, growth did not change when 60 g crude fibre/kg was fed between 1 and 4 weeks or between 6 and 8 weeks and was enhanced between 11 and 14 weeks of age. 3. Digestibilities of crude protein, fat and gross energy (GE) were depressed at fibre intakes of 80 to 90 g/kg between 1 and 4 weeks but not at later ages. Crude fibre digestibility increased with age and decreased with dietary fibre content. 4. Total small intestinal length and surface area were increased by high dietary crude fibre intake between 11 and 14 weeks. Small but inconsistent changes in the length, diameter and number of villi, villus size and area were observed in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum at the different ages as a result of feeding the different crude fibre concentrations. 5. Crude fibre can be utilised to some extent by turkeys and concentrations of 60 g fibre/kg in the diet did not result in decreased performance after 6 weeks of age.     

Effect of feeding sorghum straw based complete rations with different roughage to concentrate ratio on dry matter intake,nutrient utilization,and nitrogen balance in Nellore ram lambs

An experiment was conducted by feeding sorghum straw (Sorghum bicolor) based complete rations at roughage concentrate ratio 70:30 (CR-I), 60:40 (CR-II), 50:50 (CR-III), and 40:60 (CR-IV) for 180 days to find out suitable ratio of sorghum straw in the complete ration (mash form) on nutrient utilization and nitrogen balance in Nellore ram lambs. The DMI (g/day) increased significantly (P?<?0.05) as level of concentrate increased in complete rations. No significant difference was found in digestibilities of proximate nutrients. However, CP digestibility was higher either significantly or nonsignificantly by 2.12, 5.50, and 9.36 %, respectively, in lambs fed with CR-II (P?>?0.05), CR-III (P?>?0.05), and CR-IV (P?<?0.05) rations in comparison to lambs fed with CR-I ration. Furthermore, CP digestibility was higher by 7.09 and 3.66 % in lambs fed with CR-IV ration than those fed with CR-II (P?<?0.05) and CR-III (P?>?0.05) ration. The average CWC digestibility coefficients were comparable among four rations. The N intake (g/day) was significantly (P?<?0.01) different and progressively increased by 31.46, 48.69, and 82.86 % in ram lambs fed with CR-II, CR-III, and CR-IV rations, respectively, in comparison to CR-I ration. The N balance (g/day) was higher either significantly or nonsignificantly by 34.46 (P?>?0.05), 133.46 (P?<?0.01), and 198.87 % (P?<?0.01) with CR-II, CR-III, and CR-IV rations, respectively, in comparison to CR-I ration. Based on results, it is inferred that the level of sorghum straw in complete ration had no effect on digestibility of nutrients barring crude protein in Nellore ram lambs.     

The substitution of protein feed by lysine supplemented protein-rich wheat during the raising and laying periods of hens. 7. Report. Determination of the true digestibility of amino acids with and without lysine supplement in the feed]

In the present paper regression techniques were used for determing the true digestibility of amino acids from lysine-supplemented rations fed to laying hens as compared with unsupplemented rations of the same composition. 5 groups of 4 hens each were investigated receiving graded amounts of food and nutrients. The daily amounts of pellets fed per bird in group 1 to 5 were 120 gms, 100 gms, 80 gms, 60 gms and 40 gms. The quantity of lysine contained in 100 gms of the pellets was 664 mg in ration 1 and 554 mg in ration 2, the corresponding N values being 2.57 gm and 2.62 mg. The total amount of endogenic amino acids excreted per day was 128 mg per kg of body weight in birds receiving the lysine-supplemented ration and 132 mg per kg of body weight for the lysine-deficient ration. Data for the true digestibility of lysine and isoleucine were significantly higher in the case of the lysine-supplemented ration than with the lysine-deficient mixture. Lysine values were 86% and 75%, the corresponding lysine data in crude faecal proteins 4.8% and 7.1%. Generally speaking, the crude faecal protein of hens fed the lysine-deficient diet contained higher proportions of most of the essential and non-essential amino acids.