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The effect of diet and frequency of watering on rumen degradability and outflow rate of low-quality veld hay and dry-matter apparent digestibility in steers given food at maintenance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. Sibanda ,
P. R. Hatendi ,
F. M. Mulenga  and
P. Ndlovu
S. Sibanda
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
P. R. Hatendi
Affiliation:
Grasslands Research Station, P. Bag 3701, Marondera, Zimbabwe
F. M. Mulenga
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
P. Ndlovu
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Abstract

The effect of water restriction on rumen degradability and outflow rate of low quality veld hay and dry-matter apparent digestibility was investigated in four rumen cannulated Tuli × Friesian steers (mean weight 329 (s.d. 36·6) kg) given food at maintenance (metabolizable energy allowance (maintenance) (MJ) = 8·3 + 0·091 M). Two diets with 20: 80 (low, L) and 80:20 (high, H) roughage to concentrate ratios were used in combination with free access to water for 2·5 h once daily or once every 3rd day. A 4 × 4 Latin-square design with a 2 (diets) × 2 (watering frequencies) factorial arrangement of treatments was used.

The degradation pattern of veld hay was not affected by the type of diet and the watering frequency. Although the effective degradabilities of hay in steers given the two diets were low (177 and 258 g/kg for L and H, respectively), they were significantly different (P < 0·05) from each other. However, watering frequency did not affect the effective degradability of hay (218 and 217 g/kg). While the low roughage diet had a higher rumen outflow rate for Crmordanted hay than the high roughage diet (0·047 per h and 0·031 per h), this was not statistically significant. The same outflow rate was obtained for the two watering frequencies (0·039 per h).

Keywords

beef cattledigestibilitymaintenancenutrient densitywater intake
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 65 , Issue 2 , October 1997 , pp. 159 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1997

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