ALTAI WILD RYEGRASS (ELYMUS ANGUSTUS) AND ALFALFA AS RATION COMPONENTS FOR LAMBS

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Abstract
Diets containing Altai wild ryegrass (Elymus angustus Trin.), alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.), or mixtures of these two forage crops were fed to 30-kg growing lambs in digestion stalls, with digestibilities of organic matter (OMD), crude protein (CPD), crude fibre (CFD) and energy (ED) determined following two total fecal collection periods of 8 days each. The same ratios of Altai wild rye:alfalfa were then fed in diets containing 20% barley. The protein content and the digestibility of protein was much higher in alfalfa than in Altai wild ryegrass, while the crude fibre fraction of Altai wild ryegrass was more digestible than that of alfalfa. Addition of 20% barley increased DCP and reduced DCF contents of the diets. Mixtures of the forage crops alone or with barley supplied DCP requirements of the growing lamb. DE contents of the two forage crops were similar and deficient for optimum performance of the growing lamb, although inclusion of 20% barley appeared to correct this deficiency according to chemical composition of the diets. Intakes of all diets fed were insufficient to allow optimum lamb performance, even though chemical analyses suggested that diets containing barley were adequate in DE content.

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