Effect of a controlled-release urea supplement on rumen fermentation in sheep fed a diet of sugar cane tops (Saccharum officinarum), corn stubble (Zea mays) and King grass (Pennisetum purpureum) |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Posgrado Interinstitucional en Ciencias Pecuarias, FMVZ, CUIDA Universidad de Colima, AP 22, C.P. 28000, Colima, Mexico;2. Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlan, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico;3. Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición “Salvador Zubiran”, Departamento de Nutrición Animal, Mexico City, Mexico;4. Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, FMVZ, Querétaro, Mexico;5. Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19717-1303, USA;1. The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia;2. The University of Sydney, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Camden Campus, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia;3. School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woollongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Four cannulated sheep were used to study ruminal fermentation of a diet consisting of 60% sugar cane tops (Saccharum officinarum), 30% corn stubble (Zea mays), 10% King grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and 0% (control), 10, 20 or 30% controlled-release urea supplement (CRUS) (diets 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively). Average ruminal pH did not differ among diets (P>0.05), but during the first 6 h of sampling tended to be higher for CRUS diets. Ammonia concentrations were higher (P<0.01) in all treatments over controls, indicating microbial protein generation. Acetic acid production (mM/1) decreased (P<0.05), propionic acid increased (P<0.05), while butyric acid production did not differ among CRUS diets and controls (P>0.05). Total amounts of ruminal VFA were lowest (P<0.01) in controls, while CRUS diets produced more of these energy sources. Supplementation of the high fiber diets with 10, 20 or 30% CRUS increasingly improved rumen fermentation, ammonia supply and VFA production. The results show that low quality forages (up to 70% DMI) can be used efficiently by sheep when conditions for ruminal microorganism are improved with a controlled-release urea supplement. |
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