• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 1998

The possibility of using rice gruel compared to that of the cane molasses as a source of readily fermentable energy for a urea supplemented straw diet has been studied. Twelve native growing bulls of $237{\pm}8.7kg $ live weight and months old were randomly allocated to three treatments fed solely rice straw enriched with : (1) 3% urea (US), (2) 3% urea + 15% molasses (UMS) and (3) 3% urea + 30% rice gruel (UGS). The feeding trial continued for sixty days. Organic matter (OM) intake was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the UMS ( $64g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$) followed by UGS ($53g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$) and US ($49g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$). Estimated (from digestible OM intake) metabolizable energy (ME) intake were 396, 348 and $301kJ/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$ for UMS, UGS and US respectively. The maintenance (i.e., no change in live weight) ME intake calculated to be $308{\pm}7.4kJ/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$. Urinary purine derivatives excretion was nonsignificantly higher in the UMS (51.73 mmol/d), followed by UGS (42.53 mmol/d) and US (35.26 mmol/d). The estimated microbial N (MN) yield were 21.10, 14.00 and 11.60 g/d for UMS, UGS and US respectively. For each MJ increase in ME intade, MN yield increased by $1.29{\pm}0.134g$. Observed live weight changes during the experimental period were 292, 125 and -19 g/d respectively for UMS, UGS and US. It was concluded that supplementation of readily fermentable N (urea) alone was not enough to optimize the rumen function and a source of readily fermentable energy was required. Rice gruel was less effective than molasses as fermentable energy source to remove a restriction on voluntary intake and provide less amino acids of microbial origin for absorption from the small intestine, Thus more substrate for protein synthesis and gluconeogenesis were available for growth in the molasses than the rice gruel supplemented animals. However, in situation where molasses is not available or costly, rice gruel does appear to have a place as readily fermentable energy source on a urea supplemented straw diet.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.14.1-14.7
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• 2014

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the influence of supplemental urea withdrawal on characteristics of digestion (Trial 1) and growth performance (Trial 2) of feedlot cattle during the last 40 days on feed. Treatments consisted of a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet supplemented with urea to provide urea fermentation potential (UFP) of 0, 0.6, and 1.2%. In Trial 1, six Holstein steers ($160{\pm}10kg$) with cannulas in the rumen and proximal duodenum were used in a replicated $3{\times}3$ Latin square experiment. Decreasing supplemental urea decreased (linear effect, $P{\leq}0.05$) ruminal OM digestion. This effect was mediated by decreases (linear effect, $P{\leq}0.05$) in ruminal digestibility of NDF and N. Passage of non-ammonia and microbial N (MN) to the small intestine decreased (linear effect, P = 0.04) with decreasing dietary urea level. Total tract digestion of OM (linear effect, P = 0.06), NDF (linear effect, P = 0.07), N (linear effect, P = 0.04) and dietary DE (linear effect, P = 0.05) decreased with decreasing urea level. Treatment effects on total tract starch digestion, although numerically small, likewise tended (linear effect, P = 0.11) to decrease with decreasing urea level. Decreased fiber digestion accounted for 51% of the variation in OM digestion. Ruminal pH was not affected by treatments averaging 5.82. Decreasing urea level decreased (linear effect, $P{\leq}0.05$) ruminal N-NH and blood urea nitrogen. In Trial 2, 90 crossbred steers ($468kg{\pm}8$), were used in a 40 d feeding trial (5 steers/pen, 6 pens/treatment) to evaluate treatment effects on final-phase growth performance. Decreasing urea level did not affect DMI, but decreased (linear effect, $P{\leq}0.03$) ADG, gain efficiency, and dietary NE. It is concluded that in addition to effects on metabolizable amino acid flow to the small intestine, depriving cattle of otherwise ruminally degradable N (RDP) during the late finishing phase may negatively impact site and extent of digestion of OM, depressing ADG, gain efficiency, and dietary NE.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1305-1313
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• 2006

Five male dairy goats (Saanen), 4.6 month old with a body weight of 21.4 ($SD{\pm}1.6$) kg, were used to examine 5 dietary urea treatments in a $5{\times}5$ Latin Square experimental design. The five levels of urea were 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g urea/kg DM of steam-treated oil palm fronds (OPF) and dry matter intake tended (p>0.05) to increase with increasing urea supplementation up to 30 g/kg OPF (77.7 g/kg $BW^{0.75}$), but decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g urea/kg OPF (67.4 and 63.7 g/kg BW0.75, respectively) supplementation. Similarly, dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose digestibilities increased (p<0.05) with the addition of urea to 30 g/kg OPF but thereafter decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g/kg OPF. Ruminal pH, ruminal $NH_3$-N concentration and plasma urea concentration increased linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) as a consequence of addition of urea to the diet. Excretion of total purine derivatives (PD) by goats fed 30 g of urea/kg OPF was highest (p<0.05) followed by goats fed 20, 40, 10 and 50 g of urea/kg OPF. Microbial N (g N/day) and efficiency of microbial N supply expressed as g N/kg organic matter apparently digested in the rumen were higher (p<0.05) in goats fed 30 g of urea/kg OPF (5.5 g N/day and 22.0 g N/kg DOMR, respectively) than in goats on 10 and 50 g of urea/kg OPF treatments. However, the former did not differ from goats fed 20 g of urea/kg OPF (3.9 g N/day and 16.6 g N/kg DMOR, respectively). Ruminal VFA concentration, protein/energy ratio, N absorption and N retention increased (p<0.05) with the addition of urea to the diet up to 30 g/kg OPF but decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g/kg OPF. This implies that the optimal level of urea supplementation in an OPF based diet was about 30 g urea/kg OPF.

• 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.21 no.4
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• pp.538-546
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• 2008

Large-type goats eating dry forage secreted large volumes of saliva which resulted in the loss of $NaHCO_3$ from the blood and decreased plasma volume (hypovolemia). This research investigated whether or not the loss of $NaHCO_3$ from the blood and hypovolemia brought about by dry forage feeding actually depresses feed intake in large-type goats under free drinking conditions. The present experiment consisted of three treatments (NI, ASI, MI). All treatments in this experiment were carried out under free drinking conditions. In the NI control (NI), a solution was not infused. In the ASI treatment, i.v. infusion of artificial saliva was initiated 2 h before feeding and was continued for a total of 3 h concluding 1 h after the commencement of the feeding perod. In the MI treatment, mannitol solution was infused to replenish only water lost from the blood in the form of saliva. The hematocrit and plasma total protein concentrations during feeding in the NI control were observed to be higher than pre-feeding levels. This indicated that dry forage feeding-induced hypovolemia was caused by the accelerated secretion of saliva during the initial stages of feeding in freely drinking large-type goats. Increases in hematocrit and plasma total protein concentrations due to dry forage feeding were significantly suppressed by the ASI treatment. While hematocrit during feeding in the MI treatment was significantly lower than the NI control, plasma total protein concentrations were not different. From these results, it is clear that the MI treatment was less effective than the ASI treatment in mitigating the decreases in plasma volume brought about by dry forage feeding. This indicates that plasma volume increased during dry forage feeding in the ASI treatment which inhibited production of angiotensin II in the blood. The ASI treatment lessened the levels of suppression on dry forage feeding, but the MI treatment had no effect on it under free drinking conditions. The results indicate that despite the free drinking conditions, increases in saliva secretion during the initial stages of dry forage feeding in large-type goats caused $NaHCO_3$ to be lost from the blood into the rumen which in turn caused a decrease in circulating plasma volume and resulted in activation of the renin-angiotensin system and thus feeding was suppressed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.369-378
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• 2018

Objective: The impact of forage feeding strategy on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility in post-weaning calves was investigated. Methods: Forty-five female Holstein calves (body weight [BW] = $79.79{\pm}0.38kg$) were enrolled in the 35-d study at one week after weaning and randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments. All diets were fed as total mixed ration containing 60% (dry matter [DM] basis) of basal starter feed and 40% (DM basis) of forage, but varied in composition of forage source including i) alfalfa (40% DM, AH); ii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+oat hay (13.3% DM; OH); iii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+corn silage (13.3% DM; WS). Results: Dry matter intake was not different among treatment groups (p>0.05). However, BW (p<0.05) and average daily gain (p<0.05) of calves fed AH and OH were greater than WS-fed calves, whereas heart girth was greater in OH-fed calves than those fed AH and WS (p<0.05). Ruminal fermentation parameters including proportion of butyric acid, acetated-to-propionate ratio, concentration of total volatile fatty acid, protozoal protein, bacterial protein, and microbial protein in rumen were the highest in OH (p<0.05) and the lowest in WS. Compared with the AH and WS, feeding oat hay to postweaning calves increased crude protein digestibility (p<0.05), and decreased duration of diarrhea (p<0.05) and fecal index (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that partially replacing alfalfa hay with oat hay improved ruminal fermentation, nitrogen utilization, and reduced incidence of diarrhea in post-weaning dairy calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.930-940
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate changes in nutritional value and in situ dry matter (DM) degradability of oak and pine wood before and after steam-digestion process (60 min/160℃/6 atm) and feeding effect of the oak roughage on performance and behavior of Hanwoo steers. Methods: Chemical composition and tannin concentration were analyzed for oak and pine trees before and after the pretreatment. In situ DM and effective degradability of these samples were assessed using a nylon bag method. In vivo trial was performed to estimate animal performance and behavior, using steers fed total mixed ration (TMR) diets containing 0% (control), 25% (OR-25), and 50% (OR-50) of the oak roughage. Eighteen steers were allocated into nine pens (2 steers/pen, 3 pens/treatment) for 52 days according to body weight (BW) and age. Results: By the steam-digestion treatment, the neutral detergent-insoluble fiber was decreased from 86.5% to 71.5% for oak and from 92.4% to 80.5% for pine, thereby increasing non-fiber carbohydrate. In situ DM degradability of treated oak reached 38% at 72 h, whereas that of untreated oak was only 11.9%. The 0 h degradability of the treated pine increased from 5.9% to 12.1%, but the degradability was unchanged thereafter. Animal performance including BW, average daily gain, DM intake, and feed conversion ratio was not different among control and oak treatments. No differences were detected in animal behavior such as lying, standing, rumination, drinking, and eating, except walking. Walking was higher in control than oak treatments with numerically higher eating and lower lying times, probably due to bulkier characteristics of rice straw in the diet. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the oak roughage can be substituted for 50% of total forage or 100% of rice straw in TMR diets at early fattening stage of Hanwoo steers.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.118-123
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• 2000

Food waste results in various problems such as decay, odors and leachate in collection, transportation and landfill due to the high volatile solids and moisture content. Acidogenic fermentation of food waste is influenced by the environmental conditions such as pH, retention time, etc. Each component of food waste is degraded under the different environmental conditions. Starch, cellulose and protein have their own optimum pHs and retention times for degradation. The degradation of starch increases at low pH, cellulose with increasing retention time, and protein with increasing retention time as well as approaching neutral pH. These mean that the degradation of food waste can be enhanced by adjusting the environmental conditions of acidogenic fermentation. The efficiency of acidification increased from 71.2 to 81.1% by controlling dilution(D) rate from 3.0 to $1.0d^{-1}$ depending on the state of the fermentation. The main component of the acidified product was shifted from butyric to acetic acid, indicating that the increase of acidification was mainly caused by the enhanced degradation of vegetables and meats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1736-1741
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of forage: concentrate ratio (F:C) on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and blood metabolites of housing-feeding yaks. Thirty-two Maiwa male yaks (initial body weight = $207.99{\pm}3.31kg$) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (8 yaks per treatment). Experimental diets were: A, B, C, D which contained 70:30, 60:40, 50:50 and 40:60 F:C ratios, respectively. Dry matter intake and average daily gain in yaks fed the C and D diets were greater (p<0.05) than yaks fed the A and B diets. No differences were found in ruminal $NH_3-N$, total volatile fatty acids, acetate, butyrate, valerate, and isovalerate concentrations. The propionate concentration was increased (p<0.05) in the C and D groups compared with the A and B diets. In contrast, the acetate to propionate ratio was decreased and was lowest (p<0.05) in the C group relative to the A and B diets, but was similar with the D group. For blood metabolites, no differences were found in serum concentrations of urea-N, albumin, triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase (p>0.05) among treatments. Treatment C had a higher concentration of total protein and high density lipoprotein (p<0.05) than A and B groups. In addition, there was a trend that the globulin concentration of A group was lower than other treatments (p = 0.079). Results from this study suggest that increasing the level of concentrate from 30% to 50% exerted a positive effect on growth performance, rumen fermentation and blood metabolites in yaks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1120-1128
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• 2016

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with nitrogen and starch on the nutritional performance of grazing cattle during the rainy season. Five rumen cannulated Nellore steers, averaging 211 kg of body weight (BW), were used. Animals grazed on five signal grass paddocks. Five treatments were evaluated: control (forage only), ruminal supplementation with nitrogen at 1 g of crude protein (CP)/kg BW, ruminal supplementation with starch at 2.5 g/kg BW, supplementation with nitrogen (1 g CP/kg BW) and starch (2.5 g/kg BW), and supplementation with nitrogen (1 g CP/kg BW) and a mixture of corn starch and nitrogenous compounds (2.5 g/kg BW), thereby resulting in an energy part of the supplement with 150 g CP/kg of dry matter (DM). This last treatment was considered an additional treatment. The experiment was carried out according to a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design following a $2{\times}2+1$ factorial arrangement (with or without nitrogen, with or without starch, and the additional treatment). Nitrogen supplementation did not affect (p>0.10) forage intake. Starch supplementation increased (p<0.10) total intake but did not affect (p<0.10) forage intake. There was an interaction between nitrogen and starch (p<0.10) for organic matter digestibility. Organic matter digestibility was increased only by supplying starch and nitrogen together. Nitrogen balance (NB) was increased (p<0.10) by the nitrogen supplementation as well as by starch supplementation. Despite this, even though a significant interaction was not observed (p>0.10), NB obtained with nitrogen plus starch supplementation was greater than NB obtained with either nitrogen or starch exclusive supplementation. Supplementation with starch and nitrogen to beef cattle grazing during the rainy season can possibly improve digestion and nitrogen retention in the animal.