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Effects of Type and Level of Forage Supplementation on Voluntary Intake, Digestion, Rumen Microbial Protein Synthesis and Growth in Sheep Fed a Basal Diet of Rice Straw and Cassava |
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S. Premaratne, J. van Bruchem, X. B. Chen, H. G. D. Perera, S. J. Oosting |
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| Abstract |
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An experiment was conducted with eight growing sheep (average initial weight 20.6 kg and average final weight 23.7 kg) in a 4횞4 Latin square design to study the effect of type of forage supplementation to a basal diet of rice straw (ad libitum) and cassava (Manihot esculanta, approximately 9 g of dry matter (DM). kg-0.75 day-1) on voluntary intake, digestion, rumen microbial protein synthesis and daily weight gain. Forages used were Leucaena (L, Leucaena leucocephala), Gliricidia (G, Gliricidia maculata) and Tithonia (T, Tithonia diversifolia, wild sunflower) at a DM supplementationlevel of approximately 13 g kg-0.75.day-1. Organic matter intake was 40.4, 55.5, 55.0 and 54.9 g kg.-0.75 day-1 for control (C, ad libitum straw and cassava), L, G and T. respectively, significantly lower for C than for the supplemented diets. Intake of supplementary forage had also a significantly positive effect on voluntary rice straw intake. All forage supplemented diets showed a significantly higher whole diet organic matter digestion than C (488g kg-1), while T (557 g kg-1) differed significantly from L (516 g kg-1) but not from G (526 g kg-1). Daily weight gain was -1.7, 5.2, 5.4 and 4.7 g kg-0.75, for C, L, G and T. respectively, significantly lower for C than for the forage-supplemented diets. Efficiency of microbial protein synthesis estimated from urinary excretion of purine derivatives was lower for C (3.8 g microbial N. (kg digestible organic matter intake (DOMI))-1 than for the forage supplemented diets (11.3, 9.0, and 9.4 g microbial N. (kg DOMI)-1 for L, G and T. respectively). |
| Keywords:
Forage Supplementation; Intake; Digestibility; Rice Straw; Livestock Performance; Purine Derivatives |
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