Valeur alimentaire des pailles de céréales chez le mouton. II. — Influence de l'espèce de la variété et du séjour sur le sol avant ramassage sur la valeur alimentaire des pailles de céréales

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Abstract
The chemical composition and the voluntary intake and digestibility of 12 samples of straw was measured in adult male sheep kept in metabolism crates (6 samples of barley, 3 of wheat and 3 of oats). In 4 of them the influence of immediate harvest and of leaving the straw 21 days in swath on the ground was compared. Sheep also received 300 g of a mixture of soybean oil meal (127 g), maize (153 g) and minerals (20 g) given in 2 daily meals before the intake of straw. Eating and ruminating behavior of the animals was measured by graph recording of jaw movements during the last 5 days of each period. Oat straw was poorer in N and richer in cell wall constituents than barley and wheat straw, but the latter had a higher lignin content. Oat straw had a higher digestibility than barley straw (P < 0.05) and wheat straw (P < 0.001): 48-9-44.2 and 41.9%, respectively for the organic matter. This was due to a greater crude fiber digestibility,: 60.9-52.6 and 52.3%, respectively for oat, barley and wheat straw. Barley and wheat straw did not show significant differences, neither did the winter or spring varieties. The intake of oat straw was higher (P < 0.05) than that of wheat and barley and it was also more quickly ingested. The daily time spent eating did not vary from 1 kind of straw to the other, and was not affected by straw staying on the ground. It represented only 12% on the daily time,which was about 40% less than with green forages. The daily time spent ruminating was longer (541 mn) but varied relatively little from 1 kind of straw to another. The sheep adapted themselves by increasing their rate of eating. The higher the digestibility of straw, the greater the amount of straw ingested. Swath left on the ground only slightly affected the nutritive value of the straw provided that it did not rain. Oat straw is most fitted to replace whole or part of the hay in the rations of animals with low requirements. N supplemented straw may, according to its quality, satisfy 50-80% of the energy requirements for maintenance in those animals.

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