Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/25.1.4086
Effect of a partial replacement of ground corn grain with dried whey on the quality of the ration based on different forage species in wether sheep
Marina VRANIĆ
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Forage and Grassland, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir BOŠNJAK
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Forage and Grassland, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
*
Božica LUKŠIĆ
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Forage and Grassland, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana ČAČIĆ
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Forage and Grassland, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Nataša PINTIĆ PUKEC
; Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, Poljana Križevačka 185, 48260 Križevci
Ivica VRANIĆ
; Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, Poljana Križevačka 185, 48260 Križevci
Krešimir KRAPINEC
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Forestry, Svetošimunska cesta 23, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ranko GANTNER
; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Department of plant production and biotechnology, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Kristina STARČEVIĆ
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine, Department of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Tomislav MAŠEK
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine, Department of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Andreja BABIĆ
; Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, Poljana Križevačka 185, 48260 Križevci, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
An in vivo study was conducted into the effects of partial replacement of dried ground corn grain with dried whey – as a supplement to alfalfa haylage (AH) or Italian ryegrass haylage (IRH) - on ad libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in wether sheep. The chemical composition of AH and IRH was roughly the same, except for the crude protein (CP) content which was much higher in AH compared with IRH. Sheep fed the AH-based diet had higher feed intake. Higher CP digestibility and higher N retention, as well as higher levels of excreted N, were shown compared IRHbased diet. The IRH-based diet increased the digestibility of chemical parameters studied, except CP and starch. The partial replacement of corn grain with dried whey reduced the intake of acid detergent fibre (ADF), improved the starch digestibility in AH and IRH-based diets, and increased the overall N intake in wethers fed the AH-based diet. In practical conditions, replacing 10% of corn grain with dried whey in a ration based on higher quality forage is a way to increase N intake in sheep. In conclusion, the partial replacement of corn grain with dried whey in a forage-based diet with higher CP content improves the nitrogen efficiency in the diet of wether sheep.
Keywords
whey in the diet of sheep; alfalfa haylage; Italian ryegrass haylage; intake; digestibility; N retention
Hrčak ID:
315464
URI
Publication date:
25.3.2024.
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