Effect of Methods of Processing upon Digestibility of a New Wheat by Sheep and Cattle2

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Abstract
Digestibility studies were conducted with steers and wethers to determine the effects of three different processing methods upon the nutritive value of Maxigene 1877, a new feed-type wheat. The wheat was dry rolled, steam flaked and micronized flaked and fed in rations containing 78.2% grain, 20.0% cottonseed hulls, 0.8% molasses, 0.5% trace mineralized salt and 0.5% calcium carbonate. All rations were fed at levels of 6.81 and 1.05 kg per head daily for the steers and wethers, respectively. Percentage fine particles was highest in the steam flaked wheat followed by the micronized flaked and lowest in the dry rolled treatment. Digestibility of the energy components was comparable between the dry rolled and micronized flaked rations and both were significantly higher than the steam flaked ration. Protein digestibility of the rations was not significantly different among treatments, however the steam flaked ration was somewhat lower than the others. Nitrogen retention by sheep was increased (P<.01) by both heat processing methods. There were no significant processing method X species interactions. Digestibility of the energy components was comparable by steers and wethers with the dry rolled and micronized flaked treatments but higher with steers on the steam flaked ration. Protein digestibility was higher (P<.01) with cattle when comparicons were made with treatments combined. The largest differences in digestibility between species occurred within the steam flaked treatment for all nutrients. Digestibility of the grain portions calculated by differences followed similar trends as that with the rations in both treatment and species comparisons. These results indicate that dry rolled wheat was as digestible as steam flaked or micronized flaked wheat for steers and wethers. Copyright © 1971. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1971 by American Society of Animal Science.