• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2010

Three Hanwoo steers (BW $623{\pm}18.5kg$) with ruminal and duodenal cannulae were used to investigate nutrients degradability and total digestible nutrient (TDN) of whole crop rice silage (WRS) harvested at different mature stages using in situ technique. Crude protein content (mean 4.81%) decreased with progressed maturity at harvest except for WRS harvested at yellow stage. Ruminal dry matter degradability of WRS at milk stage tended to be slightly lower than that of the other stages during the entire incubation time from 12 h post-incubation. The rapidly degradable N (a-fraction) of WRS harvested at milk stage was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of WRS at dough stage whereas the slowly degradable N (b-fraction) of WRS harvested at yellow and dough stages were statistically (p<0.05) higher than those of the other WRS. Effective protein degradability (EPD) of WRS harvested at yellow stage was numerically (compared with dough and milk stages) and statistically (compared with mature stage) higher than EPD of the other WRS. Protein digestibility of WRS at different gastric tracts did not differ (p>0.05) between the harvest stages. TDN of WRS harvested at yellow stage in Hanwoo steers was statistically (compared with milk stage) and numerically (compared with dough and mature stages) higher than TDN of the other WRS. Overall, taking present feed evaluation into consideration, WRS harvested at yellow stage may be recommended for Hanwoo steers. Further studies on in vivo rumen fermentation pattern and minimizing nutrients loss during harvest should be required for accurate feed evaluation.