Abstract:
Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod- Vol. 18 EFFECT OF SUPP LEMENTATION WITH COPRA EXPELLER ON INTAKE AND DIGESTION IN SHEEP FED BUFFEL GRASS (CENCHRUS CILIARIS) G.L. KREBS* and L. SALEU** Grazing animal production in the tropics is often limited than quantity of pasture available. Increasing diet quality is a means of increasing utilisation of available DM and productivity by ensuring an efficient rumen ecosystem and among the end products of digestion (Leng 1988). by quality rather by supplementation optimising animal an optimum balance RUMINAL Six Priangan wethers were fed a basal diet of buffel grass hay (13 g N/kg DM) and either 0, 50 or 100 g/d copra expeller pellets (CEP). Nylon bags were used The results are to estimate 24 and 48 h DM losses of buffel grass and CEP. shown in Table 1. Supplementation had no effect on intake of the basal diet or on ruminal ammonia concentrations. DM loss (24 and 48 h) for buffel grass was unaffected by supplementation, but CEP DM loss increased. Table 1 Buffel grass intake, ruminal ammonia concentrations, and 24 and 48 h DM loss for buffel grass and CEP Supplementation with CEP resulted in an increase in total feed intake, indicating that there was no substitution effect. Inadequate ruminal ammonia concentrations (Krebs and Leng 1984) may have been the limiting factor to increased intake of the basal diet and increased rate of degradation. Addition of urea to the diet would presumably overcome this limitation. Failure to increase ruminal ammonia concentrations suggests that the proteinfraction of CEP largely escapes degradation in the rumen. KREBS, G.L. and LENG, R.A. (1984). Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 15:704. LENG, R.A. (1988). Proc. PNG. Soc. Anim. Prod. 1:3. * ** Department of Primary Industries, Yeerongpilly, Qld. 4105. Department of Agriculture, University of Technology, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 510
