An experiment was carried out to evaluate supplementation of sorghum straw (SS) with poultry litter (PL) in a single offering/day, and minerals and their effects on feed intake, sorghum straw dry matter disappearance (DMD) in nylon bags and rumen liquid ammonia N concentration. A 4x4 latin square design with 17-day periods and four rumen fistulated stalled cows was used to compare four treatments: (0) SS alone, (M) SS + mineral mixture offered ad libitum (P) SS + 1 kg/day of a concentrate with 83.5 % PL and (PM) SS + supplements used in M and P. The concentrate was offered in one meal and rumen N concentration increased to just over 100 mg/L between 1 and 3 h after feeding, decreasing to less than 50 mg/L after 7 h, levels similar to those on treatments without PL. Dry matter disappearance at 72 h and feed intake increased by the addition of concentrate, but not by mineral supplementation. These results show that the effect of supplementation with PL was due mainly to degradable nitrogen and not by the minerals. A single offering/day is not enough to maintain recommended ammonia N concentrations during most of the day.
calcium; crude protein; neutral detergent fiber; phosphorous; ruminal ammonia
