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Effects of Feeding Different Protein Supplements on Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance and Calcium and Phosphorus Utilization in Sheep |
T. V. Viswanathan, J. P. Fontenot* |
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Correspondence:
J. P. Fontenot, |
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Abstract |
Two metabolism trials were conducted with 24 wether lambs to investigate the effects of feeding crab meal and other protein supplements on N utilization, digestibility and Ca and P balance in sheep. The lambs (avg. BW, 25 kg) were randomly allotted to eight diets in each of two trials. The supplements were: i) none, negative control (NC); ii) soybean meal (SBM), control; iii) supplement based on industrial byproducts of both plant and animal origin (IPA); iv) experimental supplement based on byproducts of animal origin (ESA); v) hydrolyzed supplement No 4. (HESA); vi) commercial supplement based on animal protein (CS), Pro-Lak; vii) crab meal (CM); and viii) urea (U). The supplements supplied 33% of the total dietary N (CP, 9.8%; DM basis). Lambs fed the NC diet had lower (p<0.05) DM and OM digestibility. Lower (p<0.05) apparent absorption of N was recorded for the lambs fed the HESA and NC diets. Sheep fed CM had lower Ca absorption compared to SBM. Highest (p<0.05) P absorption was observed for lambs fed CS and CM and lowest for U and NC diets. Sheep fed CM had higher (p<0.05) total VFA concentration (65.7 mol/ml), compared to those fed ESA, CS, and NC diets (47.3, 49.8, and 49.5 mol/ml, respectively). Highest (p<0.05) ruminal NH3 N (29.6 mg/dl) was observed in lambs fed the U diet, while those fed the NC diet had the lowest (p<0.05) average value (7.66 mg/dl). Lambs fed the U diet had the highest (p<0.05) blood urea N (10.67 mg/dl). The present study showed that N utilization of diets supplemented with experimental supplements based on feather meal and blood meal; commercial supplement based on animal protein, Prolak; supplement based on plant protein and blood meal; and crab meal are comparable with that of soybean meal. |
Keywords:
Digestibility; Escape Protein; N Balance; Protein Supplement; Sheep |
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