Estimated Nutritive Value of Treated Forages for Ruminants

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Abstract
The effectiveness of four different kinds of treatments in improving total in vitro cell wall digestion (IVCWD) of wheat, oat straw and alfalfa residue was evaluated. Sodium chlorite reduced (54%) lignin content of forages. At high levels gaseous chlorine and electron irradiation solubilized forage CW, but by different mechanisms. Chlorine solubilized hemicellulose (77%) while irradiation reduced all fibrous constituents and both treatments depressed IVCWD. Combinations of NaOH and Cl2 produced results identical to that of Cl2 treatment alone. Sodium hypochlorite, Ca(ClO)2, and organic Cl (Disodium-dichloro(s)-triazinetrione) did not reduce fibrous constituents or improve total IVCWD. Sodium chlorite and NaOH markedly improved IVCWD. Cellulases and pectinases did not reduce fiber content of forages nor improve IVCWD of straw, but increased total IVCWD (30%) of alfalfa residue. Estimated true non-CW digestibilities of treated forages were low (16 to 86%) compared to reported values of 98%, but were comparable to or above that of untreated forages (30 to 55%). Based on the results of chemical composition and IVCWD, NaOH treatment was considered the most feasible treatment to improve nutritive value of low quality forages. Voluntary dry matter consumption of wheat straw treated with chlorine compounds ranged from .2 to 1.4% body weight (BW) of goats, but intake was increased to 1.9% BW by washing the treated straws with water. Dry matter digestibility of straw (47%) was increased to 56, 51 and 49% by treatment with NaClO2, NaClO and Cl2, respectively. Ruminal volatile fatty acid concentration was relatively low (2.1 to 4.02 mM/100 ml) and molar proportion of propionate increased when goats were fed treated straws. Copyright © 1975. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1975 by American Society of Animal Science.

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