Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T08:48:42.778Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of maize and citrus-pulp supplementation of urea-treated wheat straw on intake and productivity in female lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

A. J. M. Fonseca ,
A. A. Dias-da-Silva  and
A. L. G. Lourenço
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments with lambs given food indoors and individually penned were designed to study the effects of different levels of ground maize and citrus pulp as supplements of a diet based on urea-treated straw (5 kg urea per 100 kg straw) offered ad libitum over a period of 16 weeks (experiment 1) or 10 weeks (experiment 2). The voluntary intake, live-weight gain (LWG), organic matter digestibility (OMD), urinary allantoin-nitrogen (UAN) excretion and acetate clearance rate were measured. The lambs were blocked on weight and randomly assigned to the treatments described below. Ruminal outflow rate of the solid and liquid phases from the rumen were also measured in experiment 2.

In experiment 1, 20 female lambs from the Ile-de-France breed, with an initial live weight (LW) of 43 (s.e. 3·3) kg were used. Wheat straw (WS) was supplemented with 50 g/kg of fish meal (FM) and with 0, 100, 200 or 300 g/kg of ground maize on a dry-matter (DM) basis (M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively). In experiment 2, 25 female lambs from the Portuguese breed Churra-da-Terra-Quente, with an initial LW of 24·2 (s.e. 4·3) kg were used. The straw was offered ad libitum during 10 weeks and supplemented with 50 g/kg of FM and 0, 100, 200, 300, or 400 g/kg of dried citrus pulp on a DM basis (CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively).

During the experiments, all animals were moved to metabolism cages to measure OMD and UAN excretion. Two additional incubation studies were carried out with rumen fistulated rams (experiment 1) or cows (experiment 2) given the diets described above close to the maintenance feeding level.

In experiment 1 daily straw DM intake linearly decreased (P < 0·05) from 21·6 to 17·7 g/kg LW and LWG linearly increased (P < 0·05) from 51 to 154 g/day for treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively. The rate of straw DM degradation was significantly decreased (P < 0·01) by maize supplementation. Straw OMD (kg/kg) was 0·562, 0·583, 0·547 and 0·520 and UAN (mg/day) was 620, 790, 854 and 859 for treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively. Acetate clearance rate, increased (P < 0·05) as the level of maize inclusion increased.

In experiment 2 daily straw DM intake was 23·3, 25·8, 24·7, 23·5 and 18·6 g/kg LW per day and LWG was –9, 28, 44, 64 and 67 g/day for treatments CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively. Supplementation significantly increased LWG (P < 0·001) but at the 400 g/kg level depressed straw DM intake. Straw OMD linearly decreased (P < 0·05) from 0·484 (CP0) to 0·428 (CP4) g/kg and UAN (mg/day) was 181, 303, 363, 384 and 392 for treatments CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, respectively. Rumen outflow rate of fibre particles was unaffected by supplementation while the outflow of liquid phase tended to be increased (P < 0·10). The rate of DM degradation was significantly reduced (P < 0·01) by citrus-pulp inclusion. Acetate clearance rate was unaffected (P > 0·05) by citrus-pulp supplementation.

The results of these experiments demonstrate that supplementation of urea-treated straw with ground maize up to 200 g/kg or with citrus pulp up to 300 g/kg of the diet DM increased or did not depress straw intake, increased the supply of microbial protein and have no significant effect on straw digestibility. The efficiency of utilization of absorbed energy was apparently improved by maize but not by citrus-pulp supplementation.

Keywords

energy intakefood intakesheepstraw.
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 73 , Issue 1 , August 2001 , pp. 123 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1990. Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients, report number 5. Nutritive requirements of ruminant animals: energy. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews, Series B 60: 729–804.Google Scholar
Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1993. Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. An advisory manual prepared by the AFRC Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1990. Official methods of analysis, 14th edition, volume 1. AOAC, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Balcells, J., Fondevila, M., Guada, J. A., Castrillo, C. and Surra, J. C. E. 1993a. Urinary excretions of purine derivatives and nitrogen in sheep given straw supplemented with different sources of carbohydrates. Animal Production 57: 287–292.Google Scholar
Balcells, J., Guada, J. A., Castrillo, C. and Gasa, J. 1993b. Rumen digestion and urinary excretion of purine derivatives in response to urea supplementation of sodium-treated straw fed to sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 69: 721–732.Google Scholar
Ben-Ghedalia, D., Yosef, E., Miron, J. and Est, Y. 1989. The effects of starch- and pectin-rich diets on quantitative aspects of digestion in sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 24: 289–298.Google Scholar
Buttery, P. J. 1977. Aspects of the biochemistry of rumen fermentation and their implication in ruminant productivity. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W. and Lewis, D.), pp. 8–24. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Castrillo, C., Fondevila, M., Guada, J. A. and de Vega, A. 1995. Effect of ammonia treatment and carbohydrate supplementation on intake and digestibility of barley straw diets by sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 51: 73–90.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G. and Choung, J.-J. 1995. The importance of rate of ruminal fermentation of energy sources in diets for dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 3–27. Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G., Thomas, P. C., Wilson, W., Newbold, C. J. and McDonald, J. C. 1985. The effects of carbohydrate supplements on ruminal concentrations of ammonia in animals given diets of grass silage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 104: 331–340.Google Scholar
Chen, X. B., Abdulrazak, S. A., Shand, W. J. and Ørskov, E. R. 1992a. The effect of supplementing straw with barley or unmolassed sugar-beet pulp on microbial protein supply in sheep estimated from urinary purine derivative excretion. Animal Production 55: 413–417.Google Scholar
Chen, X. B., Chen, Y. K., Franklin, M. F., Ørskov, E. R. and Shand, W. J. 1992b. The effect of feed intake and body weight on purine derivative excretion and microbial protein supply in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 70: 1534–1542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, X. B. and Gomes, M. J. 1992. Estimation of microbial protein supply to sheep and cattle based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives — an overview of the technical details. Occasional publication of the Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK.Google Scholar
Cloete, S. W. P., Villiers, T. T. de and Kritzinger, N. M. 1983. The effect of ammoniation by urea on the nutritive value of wheat straw for sheep. South African Journal of Agricultural Research 36: 717–728.Google Scholar
Coombe, J. B. 1985. Rape and sunflower seed meals as supplements for sheep fed on oat straw. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 36: 717–728.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronjé, P. B., Nolan, J. V. and Leng, R. A. 1991. Acetate clearance rate as a potential index of the availability of glucogenic precursors in ruminants fed on roughage-based diets. British Journal of Nutrition 66: 301–312.Google Scholar
Czerkawski, J. W. 1976. The use of pivalic acid as a reference substance in measurements of production of volatile fatty acids by rumen micro-organisms in vitro . British Journal of Nutrition 36: 311–315.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, R. J. and Webster, A. J. F. 1992. Effects of diet, level of intake, sodium bicarbonate and monensin on urinary allantoin excretion in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 67: 345–353.Google Scholar
Dhanoa, M. S. 1988. On the analysis of dacron bag data for low degradability feeds. Grass and Forage Science 43: 441–444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dias-da-Silva, A., Guedes, C. M., Gomes, M. J., Mascarenhas-Ferreira, A., Sequeira, C. and Almeida, A. 1993. Effect of supplementation with digestible fibre on the digestion and intake of triticale whole-crop and meadow hays by sheep. In Feeding strategies for improving ruminant productivity in areas of fluctuating nutrient supply. Proceedings of a final research co-ordination meeting of an FAO/IAEA co-ordinated research programme organized by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture held in Vienna, 30 March-3 April 1992, pp. 87–98. International Atomic Energy Agency.Google Scholar
Dias-da-Silva, A. A. and Sundstøl, F. 1986. Urea as a source of ammonia for improving the nutritive value of wheat straw. Animal Feed Science and Technology 14: 67–79.Google Scholar
Djajanegara, A. and Doyle, P. T. 1989. Urea supplementation compared with pretreatment. 1. Effects on intake, digestion and live-weight change by sheep fed a rice straw. Animal Feed Science and Technology 27: 17–30.Google Scholar
Dryden, G. McL. and Kempton, T. J. 1983. Digestion of organic matter and nitrogen in ammoniated barley straw. Animal Feed Science and Technology 10: 65–75.Google Scholar
Esteves, S. N., Manzano, A. and Novaes, N. J. 1987. Substituição da espiga de milho desintegrada com palha e sabugo pela polpa de citrus peletizada na engorda de bovinos cachim. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 16: 507–516.Google Scholar
Fonseca, A. J. M. and Dias-da-Silva, A. A. 1995. Effects of maize supplementation on nutritive value and performance of female lambs fed on wheat straw treated with urea. Proceedings of the 46th annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Prague, 4-7 September 1995, book of abstracts no. 1, p. 106.Google Scholar
Gomes, M. J., Hovell, F. D. DeB., Chen, X. B., Nengomasha, E. M. and Fikremariam, D. 1994. The effect of starch supplementation of straw on microbial protein supply in sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 49: 277–286.Google Scholar
Grovum, W. L. and Williams, V. J. 1973. Rate of passage of digesta in sheep. Differential rates of passage of water and dry matter from the reticulo-rumen, abomasum and caecum and proximal colon. British Journal of Nutrition 30: 231–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guedes, C. M. and Dias-da-Silva, A. 1994. Effects of fish-meal supplementation on the digestion and rumen degradation of ammoniated wheat straw. Annales de Zootechnie 43: 333–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Highfill, B. D., Boggs, D. L., Amos, H. E. and Crickman, J. G. 1987. Effects of high fiber energy supplements on fermentation characteristics and in vivo and in situ digestibilities of low quality fescue hay. Journal of Animal Science 67: 224–234.Google Scholar
Holm, J., Björck, I., Drews, A. and Asp, N. G. 1986. A rapid method for the analysis of starch. Starch 38: 224-226. (Modified Sept. 93 AWD).Google Scholar
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. 1988. Alimentation des bovins, ovins et caprins (ed. Jarrige, R.), INRA, Paris.Google Scholar
Jones, J., Wolf, B. and Mills, H. A. 1991. Plant analysis handbook. Micro-Macro Publishing Inc., Athens, Georgia.Google Scholar
Leng, R. A. 1990. Factors affecting the utilization of ‘poor-quality’ forages by ruminants particulary under tropical conditions. Nutrition Research Reviews 3: 277–303.Google Scholar
Lourenço, A. L. G., Dias-da-Silva, A. A., Fonseca, A. J. M. and Azevedo, J. 2000. Effects of live weight, maturity and genotype of sheep on intake and digestibility of a hay-based diet. Livestock Production Science 63: 291–296.Google Scholar
McDonald, I. 1981. A revised model for the estimation of protein degradability in the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 251–252.Google Scholar
Mould, F. L., Ørskov, E. R. and Mann, S. O. 1983/84. Associative effects of mixed feeds. I. Effects of type and level of supplementation and the influence of the rumen fluid pH on cellulolysis in vivo and dry matter digestion of various roughages. Animal Feed Science and Technology 10: 15–30.Google Scholar
Mulholland, J. G., Coombe, J. B. and McManus, W. R. 1976. Effect of starch on the utilization by sheep of a straw diet supplemented with urea and minerals. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 139–153.Google Scholar
Nolan, J. V. 1989. Implications of protozoa and fungi for the protein nutrition of ruminants. In The roles of protozoa and fungi in ruminant digestion (ed. Nolan, J. V., Leng, R. A. and Demeyer, D. I.), pp. 211–221. Penambul Books, Armidale, Australia.Google Scholar
Novozamsky, R., Eck, J. van, Schonwenburg, J. and Walling, I. 1974. Nitrogen determination in plant material by means of indophenol blue method. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 22: 3–5.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Hovell, F. D. DeB. and Mould, F. 1980. The use of the nylon bag technique for the evaluation of feedstuffs. Tropical Animal Production 5: 195–213.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and McDonald, I. 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 499–503.Google Scholar
Preston, T. R. and Leng, R. A. 1987. Matching ruminant productions systems with available resources in the tropics and sub-tropics. Penambul Books, Armidale, Australia.Google Scholar
Robertson, J. B. and Van Soest, P. J. 1981. The detergent system of analysis and its application to human foods. In The analysis of dietary fibre in food (ed. W. James, P. T. and Theander, O.), pp. 123–158. Marcell Dekker, New York.Google Scholar
Silva, A. T., Greenhalgh, J. F. D. and Ørskov, E. R. 1989. Influence of ammonia treatment and supplementation on the intake, digestibility and weight gain of sheep and cattle on barley straw diets. Animal Production 48: 99–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H. 1980. Principles and procedures of statistics. A biometrical approach, second edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York.Google Scholar
Stritzler, N. P., Wolstrup, J., Eggun, B. O. and Jensen, B. B. 1992. Factors affecting degradation of barley straw in sacco and microbial activity in the rumen of cows fed fibre-rich diets. 1. The source of supplemental nitrogen. Animal Feed Science and Technology 38: 263–280.Google Scholar
Udén, P., Colucci, P. E. and Van Soest, P. J. 1980. Investigation of chromium, cerium and cobalt as markers in digesta. Rate of passage studies. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 31: 625–632.Google Scholar
Ushida, K., Kayouli, C., Smet, S. de and Jouany, J. P. 1990. Effect of defaunation on protein and fibre digestion in sheep fed on ammonia-treated straw-based diets with or without maize. British Journal of Nutrition 64: 765–775.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. 1991. Symposium: carbohydrate methodology, metabolism, and nutritional implications in dairy cattle. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Wadsworth, H. M. 1989. Handbook of statistical methods for engineers and scientists. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, L., Hill, M., Welna, J. P. and Birkenbeuel, G. K. 1992. Systat for Windows: statistics, version 5 edition. Systat Inc., Evanston, IL.Google Scholar
Zorrilla-Rios, J., Horn, G. W. and McNew, R. W. 1989. Effect of ammoniation and energy supplementation on the utilization of wheat straw by sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 22: 305–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar