Effect of Roughage Concentrate Ratio on Digestibility and Rumen Fermentation of Corn Silage-Citrus Pulp Rations

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Abstract
Conventional total collection procedures in addition to cellulose disappearance from rumen-incubated nylon bags were used to determine digestibility of cellulose, dry matter, protein and energy by steers. Treatments included replacing 0, 1/3, 2/3 and all of corn silage with citrus pulp. The design was a single 4 × 4 latin square balanced for carry over effects. Digestibility of dry matter and energy increased to the 2/3 level of citrus pulp but not above. Protein digestibility decreased only at the full replacement level. There were no treatment effects with respect to disappearance of cellulose from nylon bags in the rumen. Effects of dried citrus pulp on rumen fermentation patterns were studied in other 4 × 4 latin squares balanced for carry over effects and replicated twice with the same steers. Dry matter from corn silage was replaced at levels of 0, 33, 67 and 100% by dried citrus pulp. As citrus pulp varied from 100 to 67, 33 and 0%, of the ration, molar percentages of acetic, propionic and butyric acids measured at 2 hr. after feeding varied as follows: 70.6, 11.5, 17.3; 64.2, 14.7, 20.5; 65.5, 14.1, 19.3; 64.0, 13.1, 20.9. The all-roughage ration maintained normal levels of acetic acid expressed as molar percentages, but the effect of increasing the amount of citrus pulp in the ration did not reduce the acetic acid as would be expected by the addition of most concentrates. Generally, the acetic to propionic acid ratio was maintained when citrus pulp was added to the all-roughage diet. Copyright © 1974. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1974 by American Society of Animal Science

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