Combined effects of tricaprylin, coconut oil and amount of lipid, carbohydrate and protein on the digestibility of a milk replacer offered to the preruminant lamb and on energy and nitrogen balance

Abstract

Summary &mdash; The effects, according to the age of the animals, of tricaprylin in addition to coconut oil on the digestibility of the constituents of the milk substitutes, on energy and nitrogen balances, and on growth and feed efficiency before weaning were studied in a trial comprising two parts. Two different diets (C, Ta), containing 160 The nitrogen digestibility was higher in 5-week-old lambs who were fed diet Ta, or for all the lambs fed diet Ta taken together (P < 0.05). Respective digestibilities of energy and nitrogen increased from 95.5 to 98.3% and from 97.0 to 98.3% between the second and the sixth week of age (P < 0.025). A higher protein efficiency (P < 0.05), and a higher level of nitrogen balance (P < 0.005) of the same magnitude at all ages (+14 to +25%) were obtained in lambs who were fed diet Ta. Efficiency of ME utilization for energy (k , =