Evaluation of Chemical Composition and In vitro Digestibility of Appennine Pasture Plants Using Yak (Bos grunniens) Rumen Fluid or Faecal Extract as Inoculum Source

The inventory of camel feed resource and the evaluation of its chemical composition in south-east rangelands of Ethiopia

Background

Evaluations of available camel feed nutritive value are relevant to generate evidence on further camel feed improvements and find out the components to be supplemented.

Objective

This study aim to evaluate seasonal variations on chemical composition of selected camel feed in semi‐arid regions of south‐east Ethiopia.

Methods

Samples of edible portions from 15 browse species were collected during the dry and wet seasons, and their chemical compositions were analysed.

Results

The crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and relative feed value (RFV) of evaluated browse species were higher (p < .01) in wet season than the dry season except for Acacia asak, Ipomoea donaldsonii and Acacia mellifera. Nonetheless, the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents were higher (p < .01) in the dry season except for A. asak and I. donaldsonii. Moreover, A. asak, I. donaldsonii and A. mellifera were the browse species with higher (p < .01) RFV, IVDMD and CP but lower NDF and ADF during the dry season than the wet season, and these species are qualified as good‐quality forage. Thus. Barleria spinisepala were better to use in both seasons, but browse species like I. donaldsonii and A. asak in dry season were ranked as best quality roughage.

Conclusion

At richest level on vital components (CP and fibres), these species can serve as well ruminant diets, like for camel. Further investigations based on animal trials are needed in order to confirm the classification standards of feed quality used in this study.

Effect of replacing a commercial pelleted calf meal with lucerne leaf-meal on performance of neonatal and transitional Holstein heifer calves

A study was conducted to (i) determine in vitro ruminal dry matter (DM) fermentation kinetics, effective rumen degradation of DM (EDDM), (ii) estimate energy fractions supply of lucerne leaf-meal (LLM) and composite diets of LLM with commercial pelleted calf meal and also (iii) determine the effects of substituting commercial pelleted calf meal with LLM on the intake, % ruminal nitrogen balance (RNB) and growth of the neonates (21–42 days old) and transition (43–56 days old) Holstein heifer calves. Forty-eight Holstein heifer calves were randomly assigned to three different dietary treatments in a complete randomised design of: (a) pelleted concentrate (PEL), (b) 65% pelleted concentrate: 35% LLM (P65 L35); (c) and 50% pelleted concentrate: 50% LLM (P50 L50). The study comprised of two experiments: neonatal (Experiment 1) and transition (Experiment 2) phases. Lucerne leaf-meal had gross energy of 16.2 MJ/kg and 25% crude protein DM. PEL diet was high in starch and bound protein compared with other diets. Inclusion of LLM in diets increased calcium levels but tended to decrease phosphorus levels. Calves were weaned at the age of 56 days. The feeds were incubated for 0, 4, 10, 18, 24 and 48 h using a DaisyII incubator. Rumen fluid was obtained from calves <50 days old. Large Ruminant Nutrition System was used to predict %RNB and energy density of the diets during neonatal and transition phases. Higher mean EDDM levels were found with LLM inclusions whereas fractions a, a + b and c did not vary. Neonates on diet C had higher (P < 0.05) daily DM and crude protein intakes, %RNB, total digestible nutrients, net energy at maintenance and net energy at gain during neonatal phase. Performance of calves was similar during the transition phase. LLM should be considered as a concentrate replacement in diets of neonates and calves.

Partial replacements of Stylosanthes scabra forage for lucerne in total mixed ration diet of Saanen goats

The inclusion of Stylosanthes scabra cv. Seca forage in the total mixed ration (TMR) as partial replacement of lucerne (alfalfa) was evaluated for its effects on voluntary feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in Saanen goats. Three experimental diets were formulated having 0 % Seca (T1), 15 % Seca (T2) and 30 % Seca (T3) as partial replacement of lucerne forage in the TMR diet for goats. Eighteen Saanen goats of about 7 months old were divided into three groups of six animals per group. Each group was randomly assigned to one of the three dietary treatments in a complete randomised design, and the study lasted for a period of 21 days. There was an increase in fibre and mineral content of the diets as Seca inclusion increased, but this resulted in the decrease of crude protein contents and in vitro organic matter digestibility. Animals that were fed 15 % Seca recorded higher voluntary dry matter and nutrient (organic matter and fibres) intake, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) as compared to the other treatments. Nutrient digestibility as well as nitrogen balance was not significantly different across the three diets. The lack of significant differences in feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilisation following the inclusion of Seca in the TMR suggests that S. scabra forage can partially replace lucerne in the TMR diet of goats.

Evaluating agro-industrial by-products as dietary roughage source on growth performance of fattening steers

Silages from pineapple peel, sweet corn husk and cob mixed with bagasse and vinasse were evaluated to determine their chemical composition and fermentation characteristics as well as feeding performance in fattening steers. The experiment, which lasted 90 days, involved 48 fattening steers (264 ± 37.4 kg BW) randomly allocated to three diets. Treatments included: a control diet containing rice straw and molasses (T1); diet containing bagasse–vinasse mixture including sweet corn husk and cob silage (BS; T2); and diet containing bagasse–vinasse mixture including pineapple peel silage (BP; T3). All treatments included a commercial concentrate feed (13% CP) and ad libitum rice straw throughout the experiment. Results from chemical analysis showed that dry matter (DM) of BS was higher than BP (P < 0.05), whereas the protein content of BS and BP was similar (P > 0.05). For fermentation characteristics, pH in BP was lower than BS (P < 0.05); in addition, acetic and butyric acids in BS were higher than BP (P < 0.05). Findings from growth trial showed that total DM intake in steers fed T1 was higher compared to the other dietary treatments (P < 0.05), whereas the average BW gain was found to be grater in T3 steers (P < 0.05). As result from our findings, bagasse–vinasse mixture with pineapple peel silage appeared to be a viable feed ingredient in fattening steer diet and moreover it could become an economically feasible agro-industrial by-product for farmers.

Fezes equina como fonte de inóculo na obtenção de indicadores indigestíveis para estimar a digestibilidade em equinos

Foram utilizados quatro cavalos castrados, por meio de delineamento em blocos casualizados. Objetivou-se viabilizar a obtenção in vitro das fibras indigestíveis, FDNi e FDAi, mediante a utilização, como inóculos, de líquido ruminal (LR) e fezes equina (FE), para estimar o coeficiente de digestibilidade nutrientes (CDN) de cavalos. Os tratamentos foram constituídos pelo método direto com a coleta total de fezes (CT) e indireto pelo uso das FDNi e FDAi obtidas por meio dos inóculos, LR e FE. Desta forma, no primeiro ensaio os equinos consumiram exclusivamente feno de coast-cross, e para o ensaio 2 os animais receberam 70% de feno de coast-cross e 30% de grãos de milho. Para o ensaio 1, a FDAi-FE, promoveu a melhor taxa de recuperação (TR) do indicador, o que a igualou ao grupo controle (CT), em 103,67%, enquanto que as FDNi-LR e FDAi-LR resultaram as piores taxa de 83,43 e 88,28%, respectivamente. As estimativas dos CDN foram adequadamente preditos pelas FDNi-FE e FDAi-FE. No ensaio 2 não se verificou efeito significativo do tipo de indicador e do método de obtenção na TR do indicador (valor médio de 101%). As estimativas dos CDN foram adequadamente preditos pela FDAi, obtida por meio de ambos inóculos e FDNi, com o uso de fezes equina, para equinos alimentados com dieta mista. Concluiu-se que as fezes equina podem ser usadas como inóculo na obtenção das FDNi e FDAi, in vitro, em equinos alimentados exclusivamente com feno de coast-cross e na predição da digestibilidade de nutrientes, para cavalos que consomem dieta mista.