• Title/Summary/Keyword: dietary protein source

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Effects of Supplementation of Mulberry (Morus alba) Foliage and Urea-rice Bran as Fermentable Energy and Protein Sources in Sheep Fed Urea-treated Rice Straw Based Diet

  • Yulistiani, Dwi;Jelan, Z.A.;Liang, J.B.;Yaakub, H.;Abdullah, N.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.494-501
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    • 2015
  • A digestibility study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing mulberry foliage and urea rice-bran as a source of fermentable energy and protein to 12 sheep fed diets based on urea-treated rice straw (TRS). The three dietary treatments were: T1, TRS with mulberry; T2, TRS with 50% mulberry replaced with rice bran and urea; and T3, TRS with rice bran and urea. The study was arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications for each treatment. The sheep were fed one of the three diets and the supplements were offered at 1.2% of the body weight (BW) and the TRS was provided ad libitum. There were no differences (p>0.05) among the three treatment groups with respect to dry matter (DM) intake ($76.8{\pm}4.2g/kg\;BW^{0.75}$) and DM, organic matter (OM), and crude protein (CP) digestibility ($55.3{\pm}1.22$; $69.9{\pm}0.85$; $46.3{\pm}1.65%$ respectively for DM, OM, and CP). The digestibility of fiber (neutral detergent fiber [NDF] and acid detergent fiber) was significantly lower (p<0.05) for T3 (46.2 and 46.6 respectively) compared to T1 (55.8 and 53.7 respectively) and T2 (54.1 and 52.8 respectively). Nitrogen (N) intake by sheep on diet T3 was significantly (p<0.05) higher than sheep fed diet T1. However, N balance did not differ among the three diets ($3.0{\pm}0.32g/d$). In contrast, the rumen ammonia ($NH_3-N$) concentrations in sheep fed T2 and T3 were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in sheep fed T1. The $NH_3-N$ concentrations for all three diets were above the critical value required for optimum rumen microbial growth and synthesis. Total volatile fatty acid concentrations were highest (p<0.05) in T1 (120.3 mM), whilst the molar proportion of propionic acid was highest in T3 (36.9%). However, the microbial N supply in sheep fed T1 and T3 was similar but was significantly (p<0.05) higher than for sheep fed T2. It was concluded that mulberry foliage is a potential supplement of fermentable energy and protein for sheep fed TRS based diet. The suggested level of supplementation is 1.2% of BW or 32% of the total diet since it resulted in similar effects on the intake of DM, OM, and NDF, digestibility of DM, OM, and CP, N utilization and microbial supply when compared to rice bran and urea supplementation.

Nutrient ileal digestibility evaluation of dried mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae compared to three animal protein by-products in growing pigs

  • Yoo, J.S.;Cho, K.H.;Hong, J.S.;Jang, H.S.;Chung, Y.H.;Kwon, G.T.;Shin, D.G.;Kim, Y.Y.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.387-394
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    • 2019
  • Objective: This study was to investigate the nutrient ileal digestibility of dried mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae and compare with those of three animal protein by-products in growing pigs. Methods: A total of 12 crossbred ($[Landrace{\times}Yorkshire]{\times}Duroc$) growing pigs with average body weights of $24.12{\pm}0.68kg$ were surgically equipped with simple T-cannulas after being deprived of feed for 24 h according to published surgical procedures. These pigs had a recovery period of two weeks. A total of 12 pigs were assigned to individual metabolic crates and allotted to one of four treatments with 3 replicates in a fully randomized design. Dietary treatments included the following: i) Fish meal, corn-vegetable by-product basal diet+9.95% fish meal; ii) Meat meal, corn-vegetable by-product basal diet+9.95% meat meal; iii) Poultry meal, cornvegetable by-product basal diet+9.95% poultry meal; iv) Tenebrio molitor, corn-vegetable by-product basal diet+9.95% dried Tenebrio molitor larvae. Results: Results showed that the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of Lys was higher (p<0.05) in pigs fed Tenebrio molitor diet than that in pigs fed fish meal diet. Pigs fed Tenebrio molitor diet showed increased (p<0.05) AID of His and Arg compared to pigs fed Fish meal or Meat meal diet. The AID of Cys was increased (p<0.05) in pigs fed poultry meal and Tenebrio molitor diets compared to that in pigs fish meal diet. Pigs fed meat meal, poultry meal, and Tenebrio molitor diets showed higher (p<0.05) standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of total energy compared to pigs fed fish meal diet. The SID of Arg was higher (p<0.05) in pigs fed Tenebrio molitor diet than that in pigs fed fish meal or meat meal diet. Furthermore, pigs fed poultry meal or Tenebrio molitor diets showed increased (p<0.05) SID of Cys compared to pigs fed fish meal diet. Conclusion: In conclusion, providing pigs with diets that contained Tenebrio molitor larvae meal improved AID and SID of nutrients as well as essential and non-essential amino acids. The digestibility of dried mealworm larvae protein and its utilization in vivo are also good. Therefore, dried mealworm larvae protein can be used as protein source at 10% level in growing pigs.

Effects of Polyurethane Coated Urea Supplement on In vitro Ruminal Fermentation, Ammonia Release Dynamics and Lactating Performance of Holstein Dairy Cows Fed a Steam-flaked Corn-based Diet

  • Xin, H.S.;Schaefer, D.M.;Liu, Q.P.;Axe, D.E.;Meng, Q.X.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.491-500
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    • 2010
  • Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of polyurethane coated urea on in vitro ruminal fermentation, ammonia release dynamics and lactating performance of Holstein dairy cows fed a steam-flaked corn-based diet. In Exp. 1, a dual-flow continuous culture was run to investigate the effect of polyurethane coated urea on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters and microbial efficiency. Three treatment diets with isonitrogenous contents (13.0% CP) were prepared: i) feedgrade urea (FGU) diet; ii) polyurethane coated urea (PCU) diet; and iii) isolated soy protein (ISP) diet. Each of the diets consisted of 40% steam-flaked corn meal, 58.5% forages and 1.5% different sources of nitrogen. PCU and FGU diets had significantly lower digestibility of NDF and ADF (p<0.01) than the ISP diet. Nitrogen source had no significant effect (p = 0.62) on CP digestibility. The microbial efficiency (expressed as grams of microbial N/kg organic matter truly digested (OMTD)) in vitro of the PCU diet (13.0 g N/kg OMTD) was significantly higher than the FGU diet (11.3 g N/kg OMTD), but comparable with the ISP diet (14.7 g N/kg OMTD). Exp. 2, an in vitro ruminal fermentation experiment, was conducted to determine the ammonia release dynamics during an 8 h ruminal fermentation. Three treatment diets were based on steam-flaked corn diets commonly fed to lactating cows in China, in which FGU, PCU or soybean meal (SBM) was added to provide 10% of total dietary N. In vitro $NH_3-N$ concentrations were lower (p<0.05) for the PCU diet than the FGU diet, but similar to that for the SBM diet at all time points. In Exp. 3, a lactation trial was performed using 24 lactating Holstein cows to compare the lactating performance and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations when cows were fed PCU, FGU and SBM diets. Cows consuming the PCU diet had approximately 12.8% more (p = 0.02) dietary dry matter intake than those consuming the FGU diet. Cows fed the PCU diet had higher milk protein content (3.16% vs. 2.94%) and lower milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration (13.0 mg/dl vs. 14.4 mg/dl) than those fed the FGU diet. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration was significantly lower for cows fed the PCU (16.7 mg/dl) and SBM (16.4 mg/dl) diets than the FGU (18.7 mg/dl) diet. Cows fed the PCU diet had less surplus ruminal N than those fed the FGU diet and produced a comparable lactation performance to the SBM diet, suggesting that polyurethane coated urea can partially substitute soybean meal in the dairy cow diet without impairing lactation performance.

Ensiling of Sweet Potato Leaves (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) and the Nutritive Value of Sweet Potato Leaf Silage for Growing Pigs

  • An, Le Van;Lindberg, Jan Erik
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.497-503
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    • 2004
  • The effect of adding carbohydrate-rich feedstuffs to sweet potato leaves (SPL) on silage quality was studied using a total of 180 laboratory silos. Silage quality was assessed by changes of pH, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and ammonia nitrogen ($NH_{3}$-N). Pre-wilted SPL was mixed with cassava root meal (CRM), sweet potato root meal (SPM) or sugar cane molasses (Mo) at levels of 0, 30, 60 and 90 g $kg^{-1}$ (air-dry weight of additives to pre-wilted weight of SPL). Samples for assessing silage quality were collected after mixing the SPL with the additive and thereafter at 7, 14, 28 and 56 days of ensiling. There was a marked decrease in pH after 7 days and the pH remained low and stable until day 56. Addition of 60 and 90 g $kg^{-1}$ resulted in a lower pH (p<0.05) than the other treatments. The DM content of the silage increased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of additive, while there were no differences in DM with time of ensiling. The CP content of the silage decreased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of additive. The CP content did not change up to 28 days, but was lower (p<0.05) after 56 days in all treatments. The $NH_{3}$-N levels were increasing (p<0.05) with time of ensiling, and were lower (p<0.05) with additive levels of 60 g $kg^{-1}$ or higher. Also, the additive source affected the $NH_{3}$-N values, with the lowest values found for Mo. Castrated male pigs (Large White$\times$Mongcai) were used in 4$\times$4 Latin square design to study the total tract digestibility and nitrogen (N) utilisation of diets with inclusion of ensiled SPL. The diets were based on cassava root meal with inclusion of protein from either fish meal (C) or SPL ensiled with CRM (D1), SPL ensiled with SPM (D2) and SPL ensiled with Mo (D3). The digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM) and CP were higher (p<0.05), and the digestibility of crude fibre (CF) was lower (p<0.05), in diet C than in diets D1, D2 and D3. However, there were no differences (p>0.05) in digestibility of dietary components between diets D1, D2 and D3. Also, the excretion of N in faeces was higher (p<0.05) and the N retention was lower (p<0.05) in diets D1, D2 and D3 than in diet C. It can be concluded from the present experiments, that a good quality silage can be produced from pre-wilted SPL by addition of 60 g $kg^{-1}$ of either CRM, SPM or Mo. Diets with inclusion of 450 g ensiled SPL $kg^{-1}$ DM showed a high digestibility of dietary components and thus ensiled SPL should be considered as a potential feed resource for growing pigs.

Evaluation of Supplemental Vitamin Premix in a Test Diet Containing Fish Meal as Protein Source for Juvenile Korean Rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) (단백질원으로 어분이 첨가된 조피볼락 실험사료의 비타민 혼합물 평가)

  • Lee Sang-Min;Kim Sun-Myoung
    • Journal of Aquaculture
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.159-166
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    • 1996
  • A feeding experiment was conducted using juvenile Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) to evaluate supplemental vitamin premix in a test diet containing fish meal as protein source for nutritional study. Four vitamin premixes were prepared by adjusting different quantity and combination of vitamins. Each vitamin premix contained (mg/kg diet) : premix-1 : ascorbic acid, 2666 ; a-tocopheryl acetate, 417 ; thiamin, 60 ; riboflavin, 200 ; pyridoxine, 40 ; niacin, 800 ; Ca-D-pantothenate, 280 ; myo-inositol, 4000 ; D-biotin, 6 ; folic acid, 15 ; p-amino-benjoic acid, 400 ; mennadione, 40 ; A, 16 ; $D_3$, 0.1 ; choline chloride, 8000 ; cyanocobalamin, 0.09 ; premix-2 : ascorbic acid, 270 ; a-tocopheryl acetate, 189 ; thiamin, 13.5 ; riboflavin,, 27 ; pyridoxine, 13.5 ; niacin, 135 ; Ca-D-pantothenate, 135 ; myo-inositol, 135 ; D-biotin, 1. 4 : folic acid, 4.9 ; mennadione, 5.4 : A, 5.4 ; $D_3$, 2.2 ; choline chloride, 3000 ; cyanocobalamin, 0.05 ; premix-3 : ascorbic acid, 570 ; a-tocopheryl acetate, 107 ; thiamin, 20 ; riboflavin, 14.3 ; pyridoxine, 14.3 ; niacin, 71,3 ; Ca-D-pantothenate, 57 ; myo-inositol, 456 ; D-biotin, 0.7 ; folic acid, 2.9 ; p-aminobenjoic acid, 285 ; mennadione, 5.7 ; A, 5.7 ; $D_3$, 1.1 ; choline chloride, 1500 ; cyanocobalamin, 0.03 ; premix-4 : ascorbic acid, 190 : a-tocopheryl acetate, 36 ; thiamin, 6.7 ; riboflavin, 4.8 ; pyridoxine, 4.8 ; niacin, 23.8 ; Ca-D-pantothenate, 19 ; myo-inositol, 152 ; D-biotin,0.2 ; folic acid, 1 ; p-aminobenjoic acid, 95 ; mennadione, 1.9 ; A, 1.9 ; $D_3$, 0.4 ; choline chloride, 500 ; cyanocobalamin, 0.01. Triplicate groups of the 50 fish averaging 4.25 g were fed one of four isoproteic ($47\%$) and isolipidic ($9\%$) experimental diets to satiation twice a day for 10 weeks. Weight gain, feed efficiency and protein retention in fish fed the diet with vitamin premix-1 were significantly higher than those in fish fed the other diets (P<0.05). Moisture, protein and lipid contents of muscle and whole body were not affected by different dietary vitamin premix (P>0,05). These results indicate that premix-1 can be used to adequate supplemental vitamin premix in test diet containing fish meal as protein source for juvenile Korean rockfish.

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Effects of Dietary Beef Tallow, Soybean Oil and Squid Liver Oil on Growth and Body Composition of the Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegeli, and Biochemical Changes with Starvation (사료 지질원으로 우지, 대두유 및 오징어 간유 첨가에 따른 조피볼락 Sebastes schlegeli의 성장 및 체성분 변화와 절식시 체내 대사)

  • LEE Sang-Min
    • Journal of Aquaculture
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.63-76
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    • 1994
  • The effects of different dietary lipids on growth, body chemical composition, and nutrient partition of the Korean rockfish (43 g of initial mean weight) were studied. Fish were fed three experimental diets containing 1) $4.5\%$ squid liver oil, 2) $1\%$ squid liver oil and $3.5\%$ beef tallow, and 3) $1\%$ squid liver oil and $3.5\%$ soybean oil. Growth and feed efficiency were detarmined during a 19-week feeding period at water temperature of $15.5^{\circ}C$, and at the end of which body chemical compositions were analyzed. Remained fish were fasted for 45 days, and four fish were taken at 6, 12 and 24 hours, and 3, 15 and 45 days after the fasting to determine tissue compositions and hematological changes. Growth, feed efficiency, protein and lipid retention efficiency, hepatosomatic index(HSI), viscerosomatic index (VSI), and chemical composition of whole body and dorsal muscle were not affected by the different dietary lipids. Liver moisture content of fish fed squid liver oil diet was higher than that of fish fed beef tallow or soybean oil diet. Liver lipid content of fish fed beef tallow diet was higher than that of fish fed the other diets. Fatty acid composition of dorsal muscle and liver were affected by the different dietary lipids ; high levels of 20 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3 from fish fed the diet containing squid liver oil, 18 : 1 from fish fed the diet containing beef tallow, and high 18 : 2n-6 and 18 : 3n-3 from fish fed the diet containing soybean oil were observed. Both HSI and VSI of fish fed three diets decreased with time after the begining of starvation. Liver glycogen did not change during the first 15 days of starvation and decreased thereafter, and that was not affected by the different dietary lipids. Lipid and protein contents in the dorsal muscle of fish decreased up to 15 days of starvation and remained unchanged thereafter, these were not different from each other. Glucose, free fatty acid, triglyceride and phospholipid concentrations in Fish serum were varied for the first 15 days of starvation, after that the concentrations of fish serum remained relatively stable in all the treatment groups with prolonged starvation. The results indicate that Korean rockfish can utilize fish oil, animal fat or vegetable oil equally as energy source when n-3HUF A is adquate.

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A Study on the Effects of Dietary Fat Sources on the Plasma and Liver Cholesterol Levels in Young Chicks (지방공급원이 병아리의 혈액 및 간 Cholesterol 함량에 미치는 영향)

  • 최인숙;지규만;오미향
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.209-219
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    • 1986
  • This study was designed to investigate the effects of various sources of dietary fats on the blood and liver cholesterol(CHOL) levels in young Single Comb White Leghorn male chicks, In experiment 1, corn oil, palm gil, tallow and fish oil were added individually at a level of 4% to semipurified type diets composed of isolated soyprotein and glucose as major components. The diets were fed ad libitum for a period of 15 days. In experiment 2, various fats such as corn oil, soybean oil, repeseed oil, palm oil, tallow, fish oil and hydrogenated fish oil(HFO) were added individually at a level of 11.4% to practical type diets primarily based on corn and soybean meal. Control diet contained 3% of corn oil. All these diets were formulated to contain equivalent amount of nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals on a basis of unit kcal of metabolizable energy. The third Experiment was to compare the effects of different levels of calorie/protein(C/P ratio) of diets on the performances and various biological parameters in the chicks. Control diet was the same as in experiment 2. Another diet was added with 11.14% corn oil(C/P ratio=146) and the other diet with 10% corn oil(C/P ratio=164), The diets in experiment 2 and 3 were fed ad libitum for 26 days. In the first experiment, the chicks fed the diet containing vegetable oils tended to grow faster and show better feed efficiency without significance than those fed diets added with animal fats. However, this tendency was not observed in the experiment 2. Birds consumed the diets added with fish oil appeared to have heavier liver weight and higher liver CHOL than the others(p〈0.05), No significant differences in the levels of blood CHOL and triacylglycerol(TG) were observed among the chicks of various dietary groups(Exp. 1). Weights of liver or heart were significantly heavier in the chicks consumed the diets added with HFO or fish oil, respectively(Exp. 2). However, chicks ingested diet containing fish oil appeared to have significantly lower plasma CHOL. No significant differences were observed in the levels of liver CHOL and plasma TG among the dietary groups. Birds consumed the diet with a wider C/P ratio resulted in higher liver TG levels in experiment 3(p〈0.05). Although no statistical differences were observed among the various dietary groups, chicks fed the diet with a wider C/P ratio tended to show higher levels of plasma CHOL, TG, liver CHOL and total liver lipids compared to those of the control group.

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Nutritional Characteristics and Some Bioactive Components Contents of Sophorae fructus (괴각(槐角)의 식품영양학적 접근 및 몇 가지 생리활성물질 함량 분석)

  • Choi, Young-Su;Shin, Eon-Hwan;Park, Sung-Jin;Kim, Jong-Dai
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.37 no.9
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    • pp.1154-1161
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study is to determine the possibility of using Sophorae fructus as natural health food source. To accomplish this purpose, the contents of general and antioxidative nutrients of Sophora fructus were measured. The contents of carbohydrate, crude protein, crude lipid and ash are 75.9%, 16.4%, 2.41%, and 5.2%, respectively, while the calories of Sophora fructus was 337.3 kcal. Total dietary fiber was 15.07% of total carbohydrates. The percentages of water soluble dietary fiber to insoluble dietary fiber were 1.09% and 10.36%, respectively. The protein was composed of a total of 18 different kinds of amino acids. The contents of essential and non-essential amino acids were 2,310.91 mg and 5,218.52 mg. The K was the largest mineral followed by Ca, P and Mg, which means Sophorae fructus is alkali material. The contents of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids were 24.94%, 32.40%, and 32.86%, respectively. Therefore, the amount of the total unsaturated fatty acid was higher than that of any other plant. The content of vitamin C in Sophorae fructus was higher than that of any other plant, which suggests that it could increase blood elasticity. The content of rutin, which is responsible for capillary vessel permeability, was 1.78%. The contents of water soluble antioxidative materials in 1 mL of water-extracted Sophorae fructus were $4.95\;{\mu}g$ which is comparable to 1,560.96 mmol of vitamin C in antioxidant effect. The general nutrients and other antioxidatant bioactive materials in Sophorae fructus were also potential materials for good health food. It is expected that a follow up study on Sophorae fructus through developing processed food and evaluation of their functional properties would provide useful information as a source of medicinal foods.

Apparent Ileal Digestibility of Nutrient in Plant Protein Feedstuffs for Finishing Pigs

  • Han, Y.K.;Kim, I.H.;Hong, J.W.;Kwon, O.S.;Lee, S.H.;Kim, J.H.;Min, B.J.;Lee, W.B.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.16 no.7
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    • pp.1020-1024
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    • 2003
  • Five barrows (average initial body weight 58.6 kg) were used to determine the apparent ileal digestibilities of amino acids, DM, N and energy in various soybean meal, rapeseed meal and coconut meal in finishing pigs. Dietary treatments included 1) KSBM (Korean soybean meal), 2) CSBM (Chinese soybean meal), 3) ASBM (Argentine soybean meal), 4) RSM (Rapeseed meal), and 5) CNM (Coconut meal). The diets were corn starch-based and formulated so that each protein source provided the same amount of total ME (3,490 kcal/kg), CP (15.70%), lysine (1.00%), Ca (0.80%) and P (0.60%). Protein content of the KSBM was higher than the CSBM and ASBM, with all values similar to those expected, and protein content of the CNM was lower than that of the SBM preparation and RSM. Apparent ileal digestibilities of histidine, lysine, threonine, alanine, asparatic acid, cystine, glutamic acid and serine were greater for the KSBM, CSBM, ASBM and RSM than for the CNM (p<0.05). Also, the apparent ileal digestibilities of methionine, leucine, phenylalanine, valine and tyrosine were greater for the KSBM than for the CSBM, ASBM, RSM and CNM (p<0.05). Overall, the apparent ileal digestibilities of total essential amino acids were greater for the KSBM than for the CSBM, ASBM, RSM and CNM (p<0.05), and the apparent ileal digestibilities of total non essential amino acids were greater for the KSBM, CSBM, ASBM and RSM than for the CNM (p<0.05). No difference (p>0.05) in apparent digestibility of DM at the small intestine was observed among the treatments. However, the apparent digestibility of DM at the total tract was greater for the KSBM than for the CSBM, ASBM, RSM and CNM (p<0.05). Also, apparent digestibilities of N and digestible energy at the small intestine and total tract were greater for the KSBM than for the RSM and CNM (p<0.05). In conclusion, nutrient digestibility values of SBM preparations and RSM were relatively high compared to CNM.

Substituting oat hay or maize silage for portion of alfalfa hay affects growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and nutrient digestibility of weaned calves

  • Zou, Yang;Zou, XinPing;Li, XiZhi;Guo, Gang;Ji, Peng;Wang, Yan;Li, ShengLi;Wang, YaJing;Cao, ZhiJun
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.369-378
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    • 2018
  • Objective: The impact of forage feeding strategy on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility in post-weaning calves was investigated. Methods: Forty-five female Holstein calves (body weight [BW] = $79.79{\pm}0.38kg$) were enrolled in the 35-d study at one week after weaning and randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments. All diets were fed as total mixed ration containing 60% (dry matter [DM] basis) of basal starter feed and 40% (DM basis) of forage, but varied in composition of forage source including i) alfalfa (40% DM, AH); ii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+oat hay (13.3% DM; OH); iii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+corn silage (13.3% DM; WS). Results: Dry matter intake was not different among treatment groups (p>0.05). However, BW (p<0.05) and average daily gain (p<0.05) of calves fed AH and OH were greater than WS-fed calves, whereas heart girth was greater in OH-fed calves than those fed AH and WS (p<0.05). Ruminal fermentation parameters including proportion of butyric acid, acetated-to-propionate ratio, concentration of total volatile fatty acid, protozoal protein, bacterial protein, and microbial protein in rumen were the highest in OH (p<0.05) and the lowest in WS. Compared with the AH and WS, feeding oat hay to postweaning calves increased crude protein digestibility (p<0.05), and decreased duration of diarrhea (p<0.05) and fecal index (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that partially replacing alfalfa hay with oat hay improved ruminal fermentation, nitrogen utilization, and reduced incidence of diarrhea in post-weaning dairy calves.