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Dwarf elephant grass hay (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Mott) digestion by sheep at different levels of intake

Twelve one year old Texel x Corriedale castrated male sheep, with 27kg mean live weight (LW), housed in metabolic cages, were used in a completely randomized experiment, carried out in two periods, to evaluate the effect of level of intake (dry matter (DM) basis) of dwarf elephant grass (1.5; 1.75; 2.0; 2.25; 2.5% of LW and ad libitum) on digestion. DM, organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) apparent digestibility, as well as the N true digestibility, total digestible nutrients (TDN) contents and rumen microbial protein synthesis were not affected by level of hay intake. N retention (as g day-1 and as % of N intake) was always positive and increased linearly (P<0.05) as the level of hay intake increased. However, neutral (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) apparent digestibility, as well as OM true digestibility decreased linearly (P<0.05) with increasing intake. Passage rate and mean retention time in the cecum-colon were not affected, whereas passage rate through the reticulum-rumen increased and mean retention time decreased (P<0.05) as the level of intake increased. Fibre and OM true digestibility decreased as hay intake increased (P<0.05), mainly due to a decreasing in retention time of particles into the reticulo-rumen. However, OM apparent digestibility and, thus, the energetic value of dwarf elephant grass hay was not affected by the level of intake.

digestibility; nitrogen retention; microbial protein synthesis; tropical grass; nutritional value


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