Availability of Nutrient Minerals in Four Tropical Forages Fed Freshly Chopped to Sheep
- 31 October 1977
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Animal Science
- Vol. 45 (5) , 1114-1119
- https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1977.4551114x
Abstract
Digitaria decumbes Stent (Pangola digit-grass), Panicum maximum Jaq. (guineagrass), Cynodon plectostachyum Pilger (stargrass), and Brachiaria decumbens Staph (Sheepgrass) were harvested at 28, 42 and 56 days of regrowth and fed fresh to wethers. Mineral levels in the fresh forage and digestibilities and retention by wethers were determined. With maturity K, Na, Cu and Zn decreased in concentration. Pangola had notably low K and high Fe and Na content. Digestibility and retention of Ca, P, Na and Cu by sheep tended to decline with maturity while availability of Mg and Fe tended to increase. Copyright © 1977. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1977 by American Society of Animal Science.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: