Energy and protein value of combinations of maize silage and red clover hay for ruminants, using adult sheep as a model
1994
Margan, D.E. | Spence, F.B. (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Blacktown (Australia). Div. of Animal Production) | Moran, J.B. (Victorian Dept. of Agriculture, Kyabram (Australia). Dairy Research Centre)
Four combinations of maize silage and artificially dried red clover were fed consecutively to wether sheep ad libitum or at a level designed to maintain liveweight. On a dry matter basis, the diets contained silage and clover at ratios 1:0, 2:1, 1:2, and 0:1. A fifth diet contained maize silage plus urea. Feed intake and digestibility increased with the proportion of clover in the diet and with increasing dietary N content. Urine losses were smallest, and therefore efficiency of metabolisable energy greatest, on the silage only and silage and urea diets. Greater urinary N losses on the diets of 1:2 silage :clover and clover only led to lower N balances at the same apparently digested N intake. There were positive associative effects between the silage and the clover for voluntary feed consumption, digestibilities of energy, N, and cell wall organic matter, and energy and N balances. A ratio of ME to digestible energy of 0.81 underestimated the content of ME in silage, yet overestimated it in clover. The ME value of the silage plus urea diet was one of the highest reported in sheep for maize silage using indirect calorimetry.
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