This study aimed to compare two methods of excreta collection: the traditional, total method and a partial method using indigestible neutral detergent fibre (iNDF) as an internal marker for determining the metabolism coefficients of nutrients and energetic value of the…
The research aimed at assessing the effects on nutrient digestion and ruminal fermentation by goats of a complete feed block (CFB) that incorporated agro-industrial by-products that were high in fibre and cellulolytic bacteria. Three Kacang goats, a native Indonesian breed,…
Objectives of the experiment were to determine effects of dietary hay concentration in a dry total mixed ration and its carryover effects on intake, growth performance, faecal score, and feed efficiency of weaned dairy calves. Eighteen Friesian × Jersey weaned…
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of replacing soybean meal with dried brewers’ grains (DBG) in intake and digestibility of the nutrients and the ruminal parameters of cattle. Four ruminal cannulated Jersey oxen with initial body…
In times of drought, the availability of feed is reduced, and the use of concentrate ingredients, such as wheat bran, becomes costly for animal production. Thus, the use of spineless cactus emerges as a potential solution to the shortage of…
Ruminant utilization of poor-quality feeds is governed by rates of digestion and of passage through the rumen. The passage rate of feed material determines the quantity of bypass nutrients and the efficiency of synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen,…
It was hypothesized that maize steep liquor, which is high in crude protein, could replace soybean meal in supplementation strategies in lamb production systems. Therefore, the effects of replacing soybean meal with maize steep liquor at 0%, 33%, 66% and…
This study investigated the effects of replacing rapid-release nitrogen (N) from urea with a graded level of slow-release N (Optigen® II) source on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis, when sheep were fed a poor-quality roughage diet. Five…
Humates have nitrogen-binding qualities that could prove to be beneficial in the retention of ammonia nitrogen in the rumen of Holstein steers fed a high-concentrate finishing diet. Therefore, four ruminally fistulated Holstein steers were used in a 4 x 4…
Opuntia is generally recognized as a fruit crop for semi-arid, subtropical conditions around the world. The majority of Opuntia plant biomass is palatable and is a cladode material rather than fruits which can be fed to livestock. An experiment was…
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of whey or molasses on the fermentation quality when added to potato hash silage. In addition, lamb performance, digestibility and feed intake of diets containing potato hash silage were compared…
Thirty six lactating cows were used in a trial with a partially balanced change-over design to determine the effect of the fineness of roughage and concentrate to roughage ratio on intake and digestibility. Nine rations were used with combinations of…
It has been postulated that intake of feed mixtures will increase with increasing levels of concentrate until a peak is reached, whereafter it will decline again due to a lack of roughage to ensure a healthy rumen environment. Thus, it…
An experiment was conducted with eighteen rumen cannulated sheep fed on a chopped lucerne diet. Previous level of intake significantly influenced the level at which sheep initially established voluntary feed intake. This difference had disappeared after three weeks on an…
Reasons for low productivity of sheep grazing barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) were investigated based on studies of intake and digestion. Pasture analysis showed that barrel medic represented only 13 to 30% of the diet selected and this was similar to…
The experiment was conducted to (i) determine the excretion pattern of an indigestible marker for sheep, (ii) compare three different techniques used to determine intake, (iii) determine the crude protein (CP) and digestible organic matter (DOM) intake of wethers and…
Elevated rumen ammonia levels in sheep on high nitrogen kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst) grass were indicative of a protein/energy imbalance in the grass. To correct the imbalance, grass containing 22% crude protein required maize meal supplementation of at least 20%…
Bana grass (Pennisetum purpureum x P. amerieanum) was compared with kikuyu (P. clandestinum) and forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) with respect to quality of samples ;elected by four oesophageally fistulated steers. Hand-cut samples of the three forages were also compared…
Supplementation of early and mid-season Italian ryegrass (Lolium mu/tiflorum cv. Midmar) with maize meal, maize meal with NaHC03 buffer, or maize meal plus combinations of slowly degradable protein was studied. Supplements were administered via a rumen fistula. The effect on…
The yield, nutritional value and production potential of silage made from twenty one maize hybrids were compared. The digestibility of organic matter and predicted intake, mean retention time and milk production potential were found to differ between hybrids (p <…
