Voluntary intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization by sheep fed ensiled forage legumes

Fraser, Malcolm; Fychan,; Jones, Jones

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2494.2000.00225.x

Cited by 54 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In line with our findings here, other studies with legume forages have found lower N in vivo digestibility for sainfoin than lucerne, whether fresh or preserved as hay (Aufrère et al, 2008) or silage (Fraser et al, 2000). The differences between S100 and the mixtures in terms of the amounts of N intake and N digested arise from a combination of differences between sainfoin and lucerne in terms of voluntary intake and N content.…”

Section: N Utilisationsupporting

confidence: 90%

Mixing sainfoin and lucerne to improve the feed value of legumes fed to sheep by the effect of condensed tannins

Aufrere

Dudilieu

Andueza

et al. 2013

Animal

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The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of sainfoin-based condensed tannins (CT) enhances feed value when given with tannin-free legumes (lucerne) to sheep. The experiments were conducted with fresh sainfoin and lucerne harvested at two stages (vegetative stage as compared with early flowering) in the first growth cycle. Fresh sainfoin and lucerne forages were combined in ratios of 100 : 0, 75 : 25, 25 : 75 and 0 : 100 (denoted S100, S75, S25 and S0, respectively). Voluntary intake, organic matter digestibility (OMD) and nitrogen (N) retention were measured in sheep fed the different sainfoin and lucerne mixtures. Loss of dry matter (DM) and N from polyester bags suspended in the rumen, abomasum and small intestine (SI) was also measured using rumen-fistulated sheep and intestinally fistulated sheep. The CT content in sainfoin (S100) decreased with increasing percentage of lucerne in the mixture (mean value from 58 g/kg DM for S100 to 18 g/kg DM for S25) and with growth stage (S100: 64 to 52 g/kg DM). OMD did not differ between different sainfoin/lucerne mixture ratios. Sainfoin and lucerne had an associative effect (significant quadratic contrast) on voluntary intake, N intake, total-tract N digestibility, N in faeces and urine (g/g N intake) and N retained (g/g N intake). Compared with lucerne mixtures (S0 and S25), high-sainfoin-content mixtures (S100 and S75) increased the in situ estimates of forage N escaping from the rumen (from 0.162, 0.188 for S0 and S25 to 0.257, 0.287 for S75 and S100) but decreased forage N intestinal digestibility (from 0.496, 0.446 for S0 and S25 to 0.469, 0.335 for S75 and S100). The amount of forage N disappearing from the bags in the SI (per g forage N) was the highest for high-sainfoin mixtures (from 0.082, 0.108 for S100 and S75 to 0.056, 0.058 for S25 and S0, P , 0.001). Rumen juice total N (tN) and ammonia N (NH3-N) values were the lowest in the high-sainfoin diet (mean tN 0.166 mg/g in S100 as compared with 0.514 mg/g in S0; mean NH3-N 0.104 mg/g in S100 as compared with 0.333 mg/g in S0, P , 0.001).Keywords: ruminants, in vivo, condensed tannins, sainfoin-lucerne mixtures. ImplicationsLucerne is favoured for its high yield and nutritional quality, but is seldom grazed in pure stands as it causes bloating. Condensed tannins (CT)-containing legumes do not cause bloating and form CT-protein complexes that are stable and insoluble at rumen pH. Several papers have focused on the effect of CT on the nutritive value of CT-containing forages. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of sainfoin CT enhances feed value when given with tannin-free legumes (lucerne). We tested the effects of different sainfoin/lucerne proportions on voluntary intake, in vivo digestibility and in situ ruminal and intestinal digestibility in sheep.

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Section: N Utilisationsupporting

confidence: 90%

Mixing sainfoin and lucerne to improve the feed value of legumes fed to sheep by the effect of condensed tannins

Aufrere

Dudilieu

Andueza

et al. 2013

Animal

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“…These values are in line with Arrigo (2009) who reported a totaltract N digestibility of approximately 0.60. Fraser et al (2000) on sainfoin silage and Dentinho et al (2006) on sulla haylage found low total-tract N digestibility, which led to a negative N balance. In this study, in vivo N digestibility of the whole digestive tract was smaller for sainfoin silages than the corresponding fresh forages, (Theodoridou et al, 2008), leading to a greater N quantity in the faeces, despite similar N intake.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…CTs are considered beneficial for silage fermentation, as they protect forage proteins from degradation (Salawu et al, 1999) by inhibiting plant and microbial enzymes and/or by forming complexes with proteins (Waghorn, 2008). Forages containing CT undergo less ensilage-process proteolysis and less transformation of their plant protein N into NPN compared with forages without CT (Albrecht and Muck, 1991;Fraser et al, 2000). The values for NH 3 -N, soluble N and acetic acid in the juice of sainfoin silages indicated a good-quality conservation according to the Dulphy and Demarquilly classification (1981).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of condensed tannins in wrapped silage bales of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on in vivo and in situ digestion in sheep

Theodoridou

Aufrere

Andueza

et al. 2012

Animal

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The objective of this study was to characterize the condensed tannins (CTs) in wrapped silage bales of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and examine their potential action on in vivo and in situ digestive characteristics in sheep. Silage was made from sainfoin, cut at two phenological stages. The first phenological stage, at which silage was made, was from the first vegetation cycle at the end of flowering and the second stage silage was made from regrowth, 5 weeks after the first cut, but before flowering. The silages made from the two phenological stages were fed to 12 rumen-fistulated sheep in a crossover design. Of the 12 sheep, six received polyethylene glycol (PEG) to bind with and remove the effects of CT, whereas the other six were dosed with water. Organic matter digestibility, total-tract N digestibility and N (N) balance were measured over 6 days. Kinetic studies were performed on total N, ammonia N (NH 3 -N) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in rumen fluid before and 1.5, 3 and 6 h after feeding. The kinetics of degradation of dry matter and N from Dacron bags suspended in the rumen were also determined. Biological activity of CT (protein-binding capacity) and CT concentration were greater for the silage made from sainfoin at the early flowering stage. Total-tract N digestibility was increased by the addition of PEG (P , 0.001) to the sainfoin silage before flowering (P , 0.001). CTs decreased N excretion in urine (P , 0.05) and increased faecal N excretion (P , 0.001), but had no effect on body N retention, which is beneficial for the animal. Ruminal N degradability was smaller in the presence of active CT ( P , 0.001) at both phenological stages; however, soluble N (P 5 0.2060) and NH 3 -N (P 5 0.5225) concentrations in rumen fluid remained unchanged. The results of this experiment indicate that CT in the sainfoin retain their ability to affect the nutritive value of preserved forage legumes.Keywords: feed value, in vivo measurements, tannins, polyethylene glycol, sainfoin silage ImplicationsSilage allows the use of good-quality forage throughout the year. Although numerous papers have focused on the effect of condensed tannins (CTs) on the nutritive value of fresh forages, only few reports give data on preserved tanniniferous forages. The potential of tannins in legumes has not been fully exploited in temperate regions where livestock production occurs, largely because the CT-containing fodder legumes have poorer agronomic characteristics than tannin-free legumes. This study assessed the nutritive value of sainfoinwrapped silage bales. The effect of CT on in vivo and on in situ rumen degradability of sainfoin, which had been ensiled at two stages of maturity, was investigated in sheep. In order to investigate the effects of CT, measurements were recorded with and without polyethylene glycol, which inactivates CT throughout the digestive tract.

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“…SEM = standard error of the mean, L = Linear effect of maize silage in the diet, Q = Quadratic effect of maize silage in the diet. NS = not significant, * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01; *** P < 0.001 diet, respectively), indicating an inefficient microbial capture of rumen degradable N. This is partly supported with the results of Fraser et al (2000) that nitrogen excretion in faeces and urine accounts for a high proportion of N intake, which may be more than 70% of the daily N consumption. Despite a similar urinary and faecal N loss in the diets containing GS, a positive associative effect of two forages on N retention was recorded due to a positive associative effect on N intake.…”

Section: A G R I C U L T U R a L A N D F O O D S C I E N C Ementioning

confidence: 58%

Feeding value of low quality grass silage supplemented with maize silage for sheep

Vranić¹,

Knežević²,

Bošnjak³

2008

AFSci

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The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of interactions between low quality grass silage (GS) dominated by orchardgrass and maize silage (MS) on ad libitum intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention in wether sheep. The study consisted of four feeding treatments involving GS and MS alone and GS and MS mixtures in a ratio of 67:33 or 33:67 (dry matter (DM) basis) fed twice daily. The GS was high in DM (463 g kg -1 ), neutral detergent fibre (715 g kg -1 DM) and acid detergent fibre (429 g kg -1 DM) while low in crude protein (90.1 g kg -1 DM). The DM content (g kg -1 ) and starch concentration (g kg -1 DM) of MS were 264 and 211, respectively. The inclusion of MS into diet had positive linear effects on fresh matter ad libitum intake (kg d -1 and g kg -1 M0.75d -1 ) (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001 respectively), digestibility of DM (P < 0.01), organic matter (P < 0.01), acid detergent fibre (P < 0.05), starch (P < 0.001), digestibility of organic matter in DM (D-value) (P < 0.001), nitrogen intake (P < 0.01) and nitrogen output in faeces (P < 0.01). A positive associative effect of low quality GS and MS was observed for ad libitum intake (kg d -1 and g kg -1 M0.75d) of fresh matter (quadratic, P < 0.01), DM (quadratic, P < 0.001 and P < 0.01 respectively) and organic matter (P < 0.001), for digestibility of DM, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, crude protein, starch and D-value (quadratic, P < 0.01), digestibility of organic matter (quadratic, P < 0.05), nitrogen intake (quadratic, P < 0.001) and nitrogen balance (quadratic, P < 0.05). It was concluded that differences between low quality GS and MS resulted in positive associative responses of GS and MS for all parameters measured (intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention).

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Voluntary intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization by sheep fed ensiled forage legumes

Cited by 54 publications

References 40 publications

Mixing sainfoin and lucerne to improve the feed value of legumes fed to sheep by the effect of condensed tannins

Mixing sainfoin and lucerne to improve the feed value of legumes fed to sheep by the effect of condensed tannins

Effects of condensed tannins in wrapped silage bales of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on in vivo and in situ digestion in sheep

Feeding value of low quality grass silage supplemented with maize silage for sheep

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