Influence of maize groats and wheat groats on digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen balance of young bulls
2003
Pajtas, M.,Slovak Agricultural Univ., Nitra (Slovak Republic) | Simko, M.
A study was carried out to examine the effects of various fodder concentrates, i. e. different sources of starch with a narrower ratio of starch to fibre (1.3:1) and the same percentage of fibre in dry matter of feed rations (21 û 22%), on nutrient digestibility balance and nitrogen balance. The experiment involved six Black-Spotted bulls with a mean live weight of 311 kg, which were offered diet twice daily û at 06:00 and 18:00. A ration comprised of meadow hay as basic food was supplemented with wheat groats (treatment a), or maize groats (treatment c), or their combination at a 1:1 ratio (treatment b). The preparation period and the experiment itself took eleven and eight days, respectively. The basic organic analysis of samples of the diets given bulls was performed and starch content was measured. Throughout the balance experiments the basic organic analysis of mean samples of food and faeces was carried out,starch content was determined, and urine nitrogen was measured. Significance of differences between feed rations was evaluated by Statgraphics programme, Version 5.0. Digestibility of dry matter (72%), organic mass (73%) and fibre (65%) was observed for wheat groats combined with maize groats. Most nitrogenous substances (66%) showed significant apparent digestability when bulls were offered wheat groats, but their effectiveness was significantly higher with maize groats. The latter were found to have the highest percentage of nitrogen retained out of both nitrogen intake and digested nitrogen.
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