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- Digestibility vol.8, pp.1, 1995, https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.1995.9706077
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Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of a diet containing 20% alkaline hydrogen peroxide(AHP) treated aspen sawdust for ruminants. In experiment 1, sheep fed treated aspen(treated) had higher (p < 0.05) average daily gain and improved feed/gain ratio compared to animals fed untreated aspen (untreated), Apparent NDF and ADF digestibilities of treated aspen were higher (p < 0.05) than for untreated material. A similar trend was observed for DM, organic matter and cellulose digestibilities coefficients. In experiment 2, the soluble and degradable DM and crude protein (CP) fractions tended to increase with AHP treatment. Treatment also increased (p<0.05) the degradation rate of the degradable fraction. Results of these experiment indicate that AHP treatment results in a substantial improvement in the extent of utilization of aspen sawdust by ruminants.