• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.316-320
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• 2001

Sixteen growing crossbred Anglo-Nubian goats, 10-12 months old, pre-experimental average body weights of $18.3{\pm}0.28kg$ were randomly allotted to four diets to investigate the efficiency of utilisation of diets containing increasing levels of desiccated coconut waste meal (DCWM) in the tropical environment of Samoa, South Pacific region. The four diets were designated as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Diet 1 that has no DCWM served as the control, while diets 2, 3 and contained different levels of DCWM. Voluntary concentrate intake, growth rate, feed efficiency and nutrient digestibility coefficients were measured. Gross energy (GE) and organic matter (OM) values of the diets increased linearly with increase in the levels of DCWM in the diets. Voluntary concentrate intake decreased with increasing proportion of DCWM in the diets. Forage intake increased with increase in the levels of DCWM diets offered to the growing goats. Total voluntary feed intakes were statistical significant (p<0.05) and the goats on diet 4 had the least intake followed by those on diet 3. Goats an diets 1 and 2 were different in total feed intake but not at a significant level (p>0.05). Feed efficiency (FE) followed the trend of voluntary concentrate intake and daily live weight gains. Dry matter digestibility (DMD) was significantly different (p<0.05) among the goats offered the different diets. DMD improved with increasing levels of DCWM. The goats accepted all, the diets that were compounded with the different levels of dried DCWM and this seems to suggest that DCWM have no deleterious effects. However, the best level at which dried DCWM could replace brewers dried grains in the diets of growing goats is at 38.5% (diet II). Based on voluntary feed intake, live-weight gain and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients of the goats it could be concluded that DCWM based diets merits further attention as a locally available feed source in ruminants nutrition in the Pacific Island countries where feed availability is seasonal.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.696-706
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• 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Silybum marianum seed (SMS) extract on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emission, and hematology parameters in weaned piglets. A total of 120, 21-day-old weaned piglets ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) were randomly assigned to 3 groups based on the average initial body weight (6.46 ± 0.45 kg). There were 8 replicate pens per treatment and 5 pigs (mixed sex) per pen. The experimental period was 42 days. Dietary groups included a basal diet, and a basal diet supplemented with 0.05% or 0.10% SMS extract. Feeding weaned piglets with SMS extract containing diet significantly increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake. Additionally, the supplementation of SMS extract had no significant effects on nutrient digestibility, serum hematology, and fecal noxious gas emission parameters. We considered that the supplementation of SMS extract had positive effects on the voluntary feed intake in weaned piglets, thus improving growth performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1291-1297
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• 2006

The potential of the spot urine sampling technique as an alternative to performing a total urine collection to predict the microbial nitrogen supply was evaluated in crossbred bulls. In a completely randomized design, 20 growing crossbred bulls were assigned four levels of feed intake (120, 100, 80 and 60% of voluntary dry matter intake) on diets comprised of wheat straw and concentrate mixture (50:50). After three months of experimental feeding, a metabolism trial was conducted for ten days, during which spot urine collections were performed every 6 h post feeding on days 9 and 10. The daily urinary excretion of allantoin (A) and purine derivatives (PD) decreased with the reduction in feed intake while creatinine (C) excretion remained similar in animals fed at different levels. The microbial nitrogen (MN) supply calculated from the PD excreted in total urine (35.08 to 72.08 g/d) was higher at increased levels of feed intake. PD concentration in spot urine samples had poor correlation with feed intake except at 12 h post feeding. A/C ratio and PD/C ratio in spot urine samples remained similar irrespective of sampling time and significantly (p<0.01) correlated with daily urinary PD excretion, digestible organic matter intake and dry matter (DM) intake. However, no significant differences were evident in these ratios among animals fed at levels 120, 100 and 80% of voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) at different times post feeding. These results suggests that the spot urine sampling technique to predict the microbial protein supply is not suitable for detecting small differences in MN supply and hence, estimation of PD excreted in total urine (mmol/d) is necessary to assess precisely the MN supply in crossbred bulls.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.27
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• pp.18-28
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• 1984

In order to improve feed values of Korean agricultural by-products, various treatments including physical, chemical, physicochemical and fermentation were suggested in th is review article. Physical treatments such as chopping, grinding and pelleting reduce partiole size of agricultural by-products, and increase passage rate from the rumen, thus may increase voluntary feed intake and weight gain. Digestibility and voluntary feed intake of straw, rice hull and sawdust, also, may be increased by chemical treatment using sodium hydroxide or ammonia. Especially, because nitrogen content of by-products increase and toxic problem is not posed by ammonia treatment, it's practical usage is recommended in Korea. Silage or fermentation treatment using principles of microbial fermentation may improve palatability of low quality by-products. As mentioned above, it is concluded that various treatments suggested are desirable and improve feed value but may raise several problems. Unfortunately, because cost for installation and products is great and processing work is complicate, farmers are not using well these processing methods until now. Therefore, in order to increase the practical usage at farm level, it is thought that many research works be achieved for efficient process which have simple operation and low installation cost.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1993

With the purpose to utilize cage layer manure (CLM), whole crop corn forage was ensiled with 30% CLM (MS silage) and without CLM (CS silage). MS silage was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in pH value, total VFA, propionic and butyric acids, and the ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen, but lower (p < 0.05) in lactic acid and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents than CS silage. Digestibility was evaluated using Shiba strain Japanese goats. Urea was supplemented to CS silage at feeding to adjust nitrogen intake to MS silage (US silage). There were no differences in digestibilities of dry matter (DM) and energy among the three silages. However, US silage showed higher (p < 0.05) digestibility of crude protein, but digestibilities of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose and cellulose were higher (p < 0.05) in MS silage. Nitrogen retention was positive in US and MS silages, but it was negative in CS silage. Voluntary feed intake of goats was 11.02, 12.03 and 13.34 g of DM per metabolic body weight ($kg^{0.75}$) for 10 minutes, for CS, US and MS silages, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.214-220
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• 2005

The study was conducted to compare the dry matter intake and digestibility of Atriplex halimus (AH) and Atriplex nummularia (AN) and determine the proper proportion of saltbushes for partial replacement of alfalfa hay in the diets of Awassi sheep. The foliage of AH and AN were hand-plucked, air-dried in shade and then chopped mechanically similar to alfalfa hay. Two trials were conducted separately to determine voluntary feed intake and digestibility of saltbush browse. In the first trial, fifteen 8 month old Awassi lambs were distributed into 3 equal groups, and each animal was housed in individual pen. Each group received one of three dietary treatments: chopped alfalfa hay (H), dried foliage of Atriplex nummularia or foliage of Atriplex halimus. In the second trial, twentyseven 12 months old Awassi male lambs were randomly selected, distributed into nine equal groups, and housed into metabolic crates. Each group of animals received one of nine dietary treatments: alfalfa hay, AN, AH and different proportions (25, 50 and 75%) of AN or AH mixed with alfalfa hay. Forage type had a significant (p<0.001) effect on dry matter intake (DMI) and growth rate of lambs of the voluntary feed intake trial. Lambs receiving the alfalfa hay diet showed high DMI and high growth rate compared to those fed the diets containing saltbush. In the digestibility trial, dietary treatments had significant (p<0.05) effect on DMI, dry matter digestibility (DMD) (p<0.01) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) (p<0.01). The inclusion of AN in the diet up to 50% had no significant effect on DMI and DMD, whereas the inclusion of AH above 25% reduced DMI, DMD and OMD. The treatments had significant (p<0.05) effect on water intake and on live weight changes of lambs. Except for the diet containing 25% of AN browse, all lambs fed diets containing the saltbushes exhibited loss in body weight. The nutritive value of Atriplex nummularia foliage is better than that of A. halimus and it is possible to replace up to 50% of alfalfa hay by A. nummularia without negative effects on intake and digestibility of dry matter.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.116-123
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• 2003

Forages are the most important feed resource for ruminants worldwide, whether fed as pastures, forage crops or conserved hay, silage or haylage. There is large variability in the quality of forages so measurement and prediction of feeding value and nutritive value are essential for high levels of production. Within a commercial animal production system, methods of prediction must be inexpensive and rapid. At least 50% of the variation in feeding value of forages is due to variation in voluntary feed intake. Identification of the factors that constrain voluntary feed intake allows these differences to be managed and exploited in forage selection. Constraints to intake have been predicted using combinations of metabolic and physical factors within the animal while simple measurements such as the energy required to shear the plant material are related to constraints to intake with some plant material. Animals respond to both pre- and post-ingestive feedback signals from forages. Pre-ingestive signals may play a role in intake with signals including taste, odour and texture together with learned aversions to nutrients or toxins (post-ingestive feedback signals). The challenge to forage evaluation is identification of the factors which are most important contributors to these feedback signals. Empirical models incorporating chemical composition are also widely used. The models tend to be useful within the ranges of the datasets used in their development but none can claim to have universal application. Mechanistic models are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated and incorporate both feed characteristics and use of biochemical pathways within the animal. Improvement in utilisation through the deliberate selection of pasture plants for high feeding value appears to have potential and has been poorly exploited. Use of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy is a simple method that offers significant potential for the preliminary screening of plants with genetic differences in feeding value. Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy will only be as reliable as the calibration sets from which the equations are generated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Grassland Science Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.31-31
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• 2002

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.872-879
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• 2007

A study was conducted to investigate the seasonal changes in nutrient composition of pasture, voluntary intake and digestibility of sheep grazing an introduced Leymus chinensis pasture located in western Jilin Province, China. The whole-plant of L. chinensis and the samples simulating ingestion by sheep (simulating sample) were collected in spring (May, 2004), summer (July, 2004), autumn (September, 2004) and the end of winter (April, 2005). The contents of gross energy (GE), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and alkanes were determined. Voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of the nutrients in each season were also examined using 6 mature Chinese Northeast Merino ewes (differed among the seasons) grazing on a paddock of 1 ha size. The apparent digestibilities of GE, dry matter (DM), OM, CP, NDF and ADF of L. chinensis were significantly greater (p<0.05) in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. Metabolizable energy (ME) content was 12.13, 11.62, 8.66 and 10.40 MJ/kg DM for L. chinensis in spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively, and the corresponding voluntary feed intakes were 91, 119, 59 and 58 g/d per kg metabolic weight ($LW^{0.75}$). The ME contents and DM intakes in autumn and winter were significantly lower than in spring and summer (p<0.05). The intake of L. chinensis pasture was sufficient to provide ME requirements for maintenance by the dry ewes in all the seasons, but inadequate for maintenance protein requirement in winter. (Supported by funds from National Basic Research Program of China, Grant No. 2007CB106800).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2005

Four male crossbred beef steers about 2 years old were used in a 4$\{times}$4 Latin square design to investigate the effect of pelleted sugarcane tops on voluntary feed intake, rumen fermentation and digestibility of nutrients. Experimental treatments were; Control (dried-chopped sugarcane tops (DCST)); PS1 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 1 cm of diameter); PS2 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 2 cm of diameter) and PS3 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 3 cm of diameter). Roughage intake and total dry matter intake were 1.59, 1.62, 1.61, 1.63% BW and 2.09, 2.12, 2.11 and 2.13% BW in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3 treatments, respectively (p<0.05). Digestibility of DM, OM and CP were similar in control and PS3 treatment but there was significant difference (p<0.05) between control and PS1, PS2 treatments. Digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were 52.89, 50.01, 50.05 and 50.56% and 41.91, 39.96, 39.91 and 39.69% in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3, respectively (p<0.05). Total volatile fatty acids concentrations in rumen contents was 67.68, 65.93, 66.15 and 66.67 mM in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3, respectively (p<0.05). Even though, concentrations of acetate and butyrate (%) were significant different (p<0.05) but concentration of propionate (%) was not affected by treatments (p>0.05). Rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen and plasma urea nitrogen were significantly different (p<0.05) among treatments. From this experiment, it was found that dried-chopped sugarcane tops increased digestibility of nutrients whereas pelleted sugarcane tops increased feed intake in beef cattle. However, pelleted sugarcane tops at 3 cm of diameter did similar result in digestibility and rumen parameters with DCST. Therefore, it could be concluded that pelleting sugarcane top is an alternative way to improve the quality of sugarcane tops for use as ruminant roughage source.