Digestibility of Finishing Rations Containing Various Sources and Levels of Roughage by Steers

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Abstract
Two metabolism trials were conducted with steers to determine the influence that source and level of roughage have on digestibility of fattening rations. Rations containing 20 or 40% rice straw, 20 or 40% alfalfa hay, 20% rice hulls, 40% dehydrated sudangrass pellets, 20% polyethylene pellets or all-concentrate were compared in trial 1. The roughage source tended to have a greater influence on energy digestibility than roughage level in trial 1. However, increasing the level of rice straw from all-concentrate to 20 or 40% decreased the DE content of the rations from 3,065 to 2,832 to 2,613 kcal per kilogram of dry matter, respectively. The DE content was slightly higher in the 40% alfalfa hay ration than in the 20% alfalfa hay ration (3,244 and 3,154 kcal per kilogram dry matter, respectively) and in both, higher than in the all-concentrate ration. Polyethylene pellets diluted the DE content of the ration but did not influence energy digestibility of the concentrate portion. Rations containing 5 or 20% rice straw, alfalfa hay, rice hulls, 5% oyster shells or all-concentrate were compared in trial 2 where roughage source had no apparent influence on energy digestibility. The DE content of the 20% roughage rations was similar but lower than in the 5%; roughage rations. There was very little difference between the DE content of the 5% roughage and all-concentrate rations. The 5% oyster shell ration contained slightly less DE than the other 5% roughage rations due to dilution by the ash. Copyright © 1971. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1971 by American Society of Animal Science.

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