|
Abstract : |
The effect of ammonia treatment of straw and of barley and lucern-unmolassed sugar beet pulp supplementation on intake, digestibility, nitrogen retention and metabolizable energy of barley straw was studied in sheep. A conventional balance trial was conducted in two periods with 12 sheep, six sheep receiving the same straw in each period, with two sheep on each diet. Chemical analysis of the straw showed a remarkable increase in crude protein content (2.90-8.75% DM) intake (744-939 g/day), dry matter digestibility (56.9-65.3%) nitrogen retention (-10.2-1.4 g/100g N intake) and ME (6.60-8.01 MJ/kgDM) after treatment with ammonia. Supplementation with barley and to lesser extent with lucern-sugar beet pulp, suppressed straw intake but increased total intake up to 600 g dry matter per day, |
