Fertilizer calcium as a factor affecting the voluntary intake, digestibility and retention time of pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens) by sheep

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Abstract
Pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens) grown with and without Ca fertilizer was cut at 3 stages of regrowth to measure voluntary intake of dry matter (DM) and digestibility of various components of the dried-grass diet by sheep kept in metabolism crates. To determine the extent of a simple Ca deficiency half the sheep on each diet were supplemented with 1.4 g Ca/day. Retention times of the various dietary components in the reticulo-rumen were also determined. Feeding a Ca supplement had no effect on voluntary intake or digestibility. Ca fertilizer increased the Ca content of the grass from 2.2 to 3.8 g/kg DM and DM digestibility from 0.455 to 0.476 (P < 0.01) due to an increase in the digestibility of the hemicellulose. Voluntary intake was increased from 38.8 to 43.2 g/kg body-wt0.75 per day by Ca fertilizer due to an 18% reduction in the period of time the DM was retained in the reticulorumen. Regressions relating voluntary intake to DM digestibility for the Ca-fertilized and control grass were significantly different (P < 0.01). When compared at the same DM digestibility the voluntary intake of the Ca-fertilized grass was 2.6 g/kg body-wt0.75 per day higher than that of the control. Ca fertilizer probably increased DM digestibility and voluntary intake as a result of changes in the structural composition of the grass and not by a simple increase in the Ca content of the diet.

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