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The digestion of dry-matter, organic matter and nitrogen in calves fed diets containing broiler-house litter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. J. L. Jacobs
Affiliation:
M. C. Franklin Laboratory, University of Sydney Farms, Camden, N.S.W. 2570, Australia
Jane Leibholz
Affiliation:
M. C. Franklin Laboratory, University of Sydney Farms, Camden, N.S.W. 2570, Australia

Summary

Four diets were fed to two Friesian bull calves fitted with re-entrant duodenal cannulae. The diets contained no poultry litter (diet 0); 30% poultry litter (diet 30 D); 50% poultry litter (diet 50 D) or 30% poultry litter which had been ensiled at 45% moisture content for 3 weeks (diet 30 W). The total flow of digesta from the abomasum was measured over four 24 h periods for each diet.

The flow of dry matter and organic matter to the duodenum was similar on all four diets but the percentage of apparent digestion occurring in the stomach was higher when the diets containing poultry litter were fed.

Less nitrogen was digested in the hind gut on diet 30 W than the other three diets. Greater amounts of the nitrogen ingested and also of the nitrogen flowing to the duodenum were apparently digested in the hind gut on the diet containing no poultry litter. Microbial protein synthesized/100 g organic matter apparently digested in the stomachs was lowest when the calves were fed the 30 W diet.

The results obtained in these experiments were then used to evaluate the results of growth trials previously reported.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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