Influence of supplemented animal fats upon digestibility of ration components by ruminants.

Abstract

In the first trial 3 wethers were given in 5 periods lucerne meal alone or with 5, 10, 15 or 20% steamed destructor fat. Digestibilities were of crude protein 64.2, 63.4, 64.4, 59.3 and 58.3%, of crude fibre 57.7, 58.0, 58.1, 47.7 and 45.6%, of ether extract 52.9, 81.7, 86.8, 89.1 and 90.5% and of lipids extracted by tetrachloromethane 48.4, 64.9, 57.5, 61.4 and 69.6%. Formation of insoluble Ca and Mg soaps may have been the reason for difference in digestibilities of the fats extracted by different methods. In the second trial 3 wethers were given long hay and 2 wethers in 2 periods got the hay plus 10% linseed oil emulsified with an equal volume of water or not emulsified. There was no effect due to emulsifying, but there was a large difference between duplicates when hay plus oil was given although in both instances oil depressed digestibilities; digestibility of crude protein of hay alone was 60.3%, with 10% oil it was 59.2 and 56.8%. Values for crude fibre were 75.9, 69.0 and 60.8%.

The third and fourth trials were with 3 wethers given 6 diets in 6 periods. They got 500 g hay alone or with 600 g concentrate with 12.1% crude protein. The concentrate was given without extra fat or with 5, 10, 15 or 20% lard. Percentage digestibilities were of crude protein 53.1, 62.8, 60.4, 57.8, 53.6 and 54.2, and of crude fibre 68.7, 63.9, 58.4, 51.4, 46.0 and 42.2.-E. O. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)