Authors : J. Santos Serrato-Corona, Juan Isidro Sanchez Duarte, Manuel Murillo Ortiz and Edmundo Castellanos Perez
Abstract: The study was conducted to determine oat hay apparent digestibility, blood urea nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen in goats supplemented with fermented molasses-poultry litter. About 20 young Alpine Frances goats with 16.6±1.8 kg initial body weight were used. Goats were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a complete randomize design. The evaluated treatments were oat hay (C); oat hay plus 150 g of Molasses-Poultry litter-Soybean Meal mix (MPSM); oat hay plus 150 g of Molasses-Poultry litter-Wheat Meddling mix (MPWM) and oat hay plus 150 g of Molasses-Poultry litter-Sorghum Grain mix (MPSG). Supplements and basal diet (oat hay) were individually fed. Apparent digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and N were determined. Blood urea nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen were also determined. Feed intake was higher (p = 0.0001) in supplemented goats compared to goats in the control group. Supplemented goats consumed more DM than those in the control group (p = 0.0003). Dry matter retention was not affected by supplementation (p = 0.11). Organic dry matter tended to increase (p = 0.08) in supplemented goats. Supplemented goats retained more nitrogen (p = 0.0001) than those in the control group with values of 6.37, 10.43, 8.59 and 8.00 g day-1 for treatments C, MPSM, MPWM and MPSG, respectively. The concentration of N-NH3 in rumen fluid tended to increase (p = 0.08) as the quantity of nitrogen in the supplement increase. The results shows that supplementation with molasses-poultry litter plus soybean meal, wheat middlings or sorghum grain can increase feed intake and nitrogen retention in growing goats fed oat hay.
J. Santos Serrato-Corona, Juan Isidro Sanchez Duarte, Manuel Murillo Ortiz and Edmundo Castellanos Perez, 2011. Oat Hay Apparent Digestibility, Rumen Ammonia Nitrogen and Bun in Goats Supplemented with Fermented Molasses-Poultry Litter. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 10: 808-812.