• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1171-1177
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• 2008

The performance of growing rabbits fed Ruzi grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), head lettuce (Lactuca sativa) residue, Mimosa pigra and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) was studied in an experiment using 64 rabbits (4 males and 4 females per treatment) of 2 breeds, New Zealand White and a crossbred between New Zealand White and native breed. The rabbits had an average initial weight of 668 g, were about 6 weeks old and were housed in individual pens. The foliages were fed ad libitum and a commercial concentrate was fed at a restricted level of 2% of body weight on a dry matter (DM) basis. In the digestibility experiment, the rabbits, 4 per foliage and males only, were fed the same foliages as in the growth experiment but without concentrate. Daily weight gain was lower in the group fed Ruzi grass, 14.8 g/d (p<0.001) compared to 17.6, 18.5 and 18.4 g/d for head lettuce, Mimosa pigra and water spinach, respectively. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were lowest for the rabbits fed water spinach, 66 g DM/d and 3.6 kg DM/kg live weight, respectively. The New Zealand White breed had a higher daily gain than the crossbred rabbits (p<0.05), 18.0 and 16.7 g/d, respectively. There were no significant differences in feed intake, growth or feed conversion ratio due to sex. The digestibility coefficients of DM, organic matter, crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were significantly lower (p<0.001) in the rabbits fed Ruzi grass. Breed and sex had no effect on digestibility. In conclusion, feeding head lettuce residue, Mimosa pigra and water spinach resulted in higher growth rate and digestibility than feeding Ruzi grass and can be recommended as alternative feeds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.693-701
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• 2003

In order to evaluate the nutritive value of the forage plants in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, 266 samples (61 grasses and 65 legumes grown in the dry season, 60 grasses and 80 legumes grown in the rainy season) were collected from the highland and lowland in 1998 to 2000, and were subjected to the determination of chemical composition and digestibility. The least-squares analysis of variance demonstrated that the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of grasses was not significantly affected by season or altitude. On the other hand, the some proximate components and cell wall components were significantly affected by season and altitude including the season${\times}$altitude interaction. For the legumes, the in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) and cellulose content were significantly affected by season. On the other hand, the ether extract (EE) content was significantly affected by season and altitude. The interaction of the season${\times}$altitude for IVDMD, of the year${\times}$season for some proximate components and of the year${\times}$season and the season${\times}$altitude for some cell wall components were significant. These results indicate that the forages grown at highland in dry season have a relatively high quality. The means of the total digestible nutrient (TDN) content estimated from IVDMD in grasses and in legumes were 50.3% and 57.4%, respectively, and the crude protein contents were 7.7% and 17.6%, respectively. The correlation coefficients between IVDMD and the contents of crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were relatively high in all of forage plants, suggesting that these components would provide an accurate prediction of digestibility or TDN content. A close relationship between IVNDFD and lignin content indicates that the lignin would be the most accurate predictor of cell wall digestibility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.281-287
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• 1995

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of different inclusion levels of urea treated whole-crop wheat silage (UWCWS) in grass silage based rations on the performance of growing beef cattle. The winter wheat (variety, Riband) was harvested (in the summer of 1991) at a dry matter proportion of 520 g/kg and treated with feed grade urea at the rate of 37 kg/tonne crop dry matter and preserved in a heavy duty plastic bag using a silo press. The urea treated whole crop wheat silage (UWCWS) was mixed with grass silage to replace 0.00 (S100), 0.33 (S33) and 0.67 (S67) parts of the forage dry matter and fed ad libitum in a cross over design to 18 Simmental X Holstein Friesian growing beef animals. Two energy sources {one high in starch, rolled barley (RB) and one high in digestible fibre, sugar beet pulp (SBP)} were fed to supply sufficient energy for the efficient use of nitrogen by the rumen micro-organisms. The data on DMIF (dry matter intake of forage), TDMI (total dry matter intake), DLWG (daily live weight gain), FCR (feed conversion ratio) were recorded and faecal samples were collected to determine the digestibility coefficients. Results revealed that with the inclusion of UWCW in the animals' diets the DMI of the forage was significantly increased (p < 0.05). The highest DMIF was found in the treatment "S33" ($6.28{\pm}0.25kg$) where 67% of the silage dry matter was replaced with the UWCW and the lowest value for DMIF was observed in the control treatment ($5.03{\pm}0.23kg$). The DLWG did not differ significantly between the treatments. However, treatment "S100" showed a trend towards a superior DLWG. Feed conversion ratio in the control treatment differed significantly from "S67" and "S33". The addition of the UWCW in the animals' diet resulted in the lower FCR There was no effect of type of energy supplement on any aspect of performance either overall or in interaction with grass silage: UWCWS ratio. The regression and correlation coefficients for DMIF (r = 5.22 + 0.0184x*), DLWG (r = $1.04-0.00086x^{NS}$) and FCR (r = 4.78 = 0.022x*) on the inclusion of UWCW in the diet were calculated. The effect of the inclusion of UWCW on the overall digestibility coefficients was significant (p < 0.05). The addition of the UWCWS in the diet decreased the digestibility of the DM, OM, ADF and NFE but effect on the protein digestibility was non significant. The results of present study suggests that a DLWG slightly over 1 kg can be achieved with UWCW during the store period (period in which animal performance targets are low especially during winter) and the prediction of ME was overestimated as the high intake of DM did not reflect in improved animal performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 1990

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of processing and method of ensiling on the digestion and utilization of high moisture barley (HMB) in cattle. In experiment 1, four Holstein heifers were assigned in a Latin square design to diets containing 70% barley, 25% alfalfa hay and 5% supplement on a dry matter (DM) basis. Diets differed only in the type of barley fed: rolled dry barley (R-DB), rolled HBM (R-HMB), ground HMB (G-HMB) or unprocessed HMB (U-HMB). In experiment 2, three Holstein steers were fed 85.2% barley, 10.2% whole plant barley silage and 4.6% supplement on a DM basis. Again, diets differed only in the type of barley fed: R-DB, rolled HMB from a pit silo (Pit-HMB) or rolled HMB from a Harvestore silo (HAV-HMB). In experiment 1, digestibility coefficients for animals fed R-HMB were significantly higher than observed for U-HMB. While not significant, a similar trend for decreased digestibility was observed for R-DB and G-HMB. Animals fed HMB had significantly lower ruminal propionate concentrations. In addition, the rate of degradation of the degradable DM and crude protein (CP) fractions was slower for HMB than for dry barley. In experiment 2, a trend to lower digestibility coefficients was observed for animal fed R-DB compared to those fed Pit-HMB or HAV-HMB. Ruminal propionate concentrations for animals fed R-DB also tended to be higher than for those fed the HMB diets. Dry matter and CP disappearances from nylon bags was substantially lower for Pit-HMB than for R-DB or HAV-HMB. The results suggest that replacement of dry barley by rolled or unprocessed HMB in the diet of animals fed high grain diets may contribute to a more stable rumen environment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to establish relationships between chemical and physical parameters of wheat with performance and digestibilities of feed components in broiler chickens fed on wheat-based diets. Ninety-four wheat samples were selected for inclusion in four bird trials. Birds were housed in individual wire metabolism cages from 7 to 28 d and offered water and feed ad libitum. Dry matter intake (DMI), liveweight gain (LWG) and gain:feed were measured weekly. A balance collection was carried out from 14 to 21 d for determination of apparent metabolizable energy (AME), ME:gain, dry matter retention, oil and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility. At 28 d the birds were humanely killed, the contents of the jejunum removed for determination of in vivo viscosity and the contents of the ileum removed for determination of ileal dry matter, starch and protein digestibility. When wheat parameters were correlated with bird performance data, it was found that specific weight was not significantly (p>0.05) related to bird performance. Bird DMI, LWG and gain:feed were best correlated (p<0.05) with the rate of starch digestion, although the coefficients of correlation (r) were still low (0.246 to 0.523). A negative relationship (p<0.01) between AME and total (r = -0.432) and soluble (r = -0.304) non starch polysaccharide (NSP) was observed in this study. Thousand grain weight (TG) was positively correlated with DMI (r = 0.299), LWG (r = 0.343) and gain:feed (r = 0.371). When establishing multiple regression relationships, correlation coefficients greater than 0.8 were achieved for DMI, LWG, gain:feed and ileal crude protein digestibility. However, the economics involved in determining the parameters involved in the regressions make the process impractical.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1593-1598
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• 2003

Nutritional evaluation of some agro-industrial byproducts available in Samoa [dry brewers' grains (DBG), cocoa shell (CS), cocoa dust (CD) and desiccated coconut waste meal (DCWM)] available in Samoa was carried out using both the in vivo and in vitro techniques. In the in vivo study 24 Anglo-nubian goats were offered by-products with other feed ingredients to compound four different diets. The goats were randomly allocated to 4 diets on the basis of liveweight (18.7-0.3kg). The ADF content of the byproducts followed a similar trend to NDF. The byproducts have a high content of organic matter (91.0-95.4%). Gross energy (GE) content was higher in DCWM (25.1 MJ/kg DM), closely followed by CD (23.2 MJ/kg DM). Concentrate intake was significantly different (p<0.05) among the goats. Average daily live weight gains were 105, 92, 88 and 97 g/goat/day for DBG, CS, CD and DCWM, respectively. Daily live weight gains were higher (p<0.05) in the goats that received DBG, while the least gain was obtained in the goats that received CS byproduct diet. DM digestibility was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the goats on DBG diet than in the other goats. The least DM digestibility was obtained in the goats that received CD diet (p>0.05). CP digestibility followed a similar pattern to DM digestibility. The digestibility of NDF and ADF was influenced by the nature of the diets. The digestibility of OM and GE were best (p<0.05) in the goats that received DBG, DCWM and CS byproduct diets than in CD. Significant differences (p<0.05) among the byproducts were recorded for net gas production. Potential gas production (a+b) ranged from 7.064 to 42.17 ml. Organic matter digested (OMD) from gas production value at 24 h was higher in DBG (47.6 g/kg DM) and this was followed by DCWM (42.5 g/kg DM). The least OMD was obtained in CD (17.9 g/kg DM). A significant difference (p<0.05) in DM disappearance after 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h was recorded. The potential and effective degradability varied significantly (p<0.05) from 85.95-99.6 g/kg DM and from 39.9-65.8%, respectively. The digestibility of the byproducts in both the in vivo and in in vitro techniques demonstrated that they are potential source of feed ingredients for ruminant livestock in Samoa and possibly in the other small Pacific Island countries. On the basis of their potential degradability the byproducts could be ranked in the following order:DCWM>DBG>CD>CS. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that all the byproducts can contribute to ruminant livestock diets without adverse effects on feed intake, growth rate and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2006

This study was carried out to explore the accuracy of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) fer the prediction of digestibility and energy value of corn silages. The spectral data were regressed against a range of digestibility and energy parameters using modified partial least squares(MPLS) multivariate analysis in conjunction with first and second order derivatization, with scatter correction procedure(SNV-Detrend) to reduce the effect of extraneous noise. Calibration models for NIRS measurements gave multivariate correlation coefficients of determination$(R^2)$ and standard errors of cross validation of 0.92(SECV 1.73), 0.91(SECV 1.13) and 0.93(SECV 1.74) for in vitro dry matter digestibility(IVDMD), in vitro true digestibility(IVTD), and cellulase dry matter digestibility(CDMD), respectively. The standard error of prediction(SEP) and the multiple correlation coefficient of validation$(R^2v)$ on the validation set(n=39) was used in comparing the prediction accuracy. The SEP value was 0.30(TDN), 0.01(NEL), and 0.01(ME). The relative ability of NIRS to predict digestibility and energy value was very good for CDMD, total digestible nutrients(TDN), net energy fer lactation(NEL) and metabolizable energy(ME). This paper shows the potential of NIRS to predict the digestibility and energy value of con silage as a routine method in feeding programmes and for giving advice to farmers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.521-527
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• 2000

Two experiments were conducted to determine the ileal digestibility of the amino acids contained in cottonseed meal using the regression technique and then applying the values obtained, in a growth trial, using growing-finishing pigs. For the digestibility trial, four 20 kg crossbred ($Yorkshire{\times}Landrace{\times}Beijing$ Black) barrows were fitted with simple T-cannula in the terminal ileum. After recovery, the barrows were fed one of four experimental diets according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square design. The pigs were fed com-soybean meal based diets supplemented with 0, 25, 50 or 75% cottonseed meal. For the growth trial, 128 crossbred ($Yorkshire{\times}Landrace{\times}Beijing$ Black) growing pigs (21 kg) were fed com-soybean meal diets supplemented with 0, 4, 8 or 12% cottonseed meal. Four pens (4 gilts and 4 castrates) were assigned to each treatment. The digestibility coefficients for the indispensible amino acids declined as the level of cottonseed meal in the diet increased. There was good agreement between the amino acid digestibilities for methionine, threonine and tryptophan determined using the regression technique and amino acid digestibilities previously published for cottonseed meal. However, for lysine, the value of 67% ileal digestibility obtained in the present experiment was higher than most previously published estimates which ranged from 42 to 73%. During both the growing (21-43 kg) and finishing (43-84 kg) periods, the addition of cottonseed meal decreased average daily gain and feed conversion in a linear manner (p<0.05). Feed intake was not significantly different between treatments. The overall results suggest that cottonseed meal can be used at levels of up to 8% in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs provided that the diet. has been balanced for digestible amino acids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1215-1221
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• 1999

Twelve rumen fistulated cross-bred calves were divided into three groups and fed wheat straw and concentrate mixture according to their maintenance requirement. Animals in group II and III were fed 50 and 100mg rumensin per day, in addition to basal feed. Supplementation of rumensin in the diet decreased the dry matter intake significantly (p<0.05) along with a significant decrease in the straw intake. Digestibility coefficients of all the nutrients were not affected significantly except that of CF digestibility which was lower (p<0.05) in groups II and III as compared to group I. Among N-parameters in the rumen fluid, mean $NH_3-N$ was significantly lower in groups II and III (19.13 and 18.63 mg N/100 ml respectively) than in group I (22.68); total-N and TCA-ppt-N did not differ among the three groups. Total VFA concentration did also not differ among the three groups, however, propionate increased from 24.33 molar % to 32.73 while acetate and butyrate decreased respectively from 65.85 to 58.81% and 9.79 to 8.46%. Total VFA, bacteria and protozoa production rates were not affected significantly due to rumensin in diet. Methane production per kg DDM as well as % of methane in total gas were reduced at both the levels of rumensin on different concentrate ratios with wheat straw as roughage. Similar trend was also observed with rice straw and concentrate mixture as substrate with rumensin addition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.667-670
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• 2005

The proximate analysis, amino acid content and true amino acid digestibility and TMEn for poultry of adult Field crickets Gryllus testaceus Walker, were investigated. The insect was also used as partial replacement of protein supplements in the broiler diet on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis. The results indicated that the adult insect contained: crude protein 58.3%; fat 10.3%, chitin 8.7% and ash 2.96% on dry matter basis, respectively. The total amounts of methionine, cystine and lysine in the Field crickets were 1.93%, 1.01% and 4.79%, respectively, and their true digestibility coefficients, determined in cecectomized roosters, were 94.1%, 85% and 96%, respectively. The TMEn of this insect meal was 2,960 kcal/kg determined in cecectomized roosters. When cornsoybean meal diets were formulated on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis, up to 15% Field cricket could replace control diet without any adverse affects on broiler weight gain, feed intake or gain:feed ratio from 8 to 20 d posthatching.