Physical characteristics and ruminal degradation of ammoniated rice straw and selective intake by sheep

Abstract

The study was carried out at Sector of Digestibility, Department of Animal Science of Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, State of Paraná, Brazil, to instigate the selective intake of ammoniated rice straw by sheep through ruminal degradation and some physical features of leftovers. The following parameters were studied: packing volume (PV, DM ml/g), water retention (WR DM ml/g) and DM solubility in water (SOL %). Fifteen male castrated adult sheep with mean body weight of 63.8kg were used as a sample, in a completely randomized design with three replications. The physical characteristics of DM leftovers were not affected by feeding levels (P > 0.05), while PV, WR and SOL mean values were 3.22ml/g, 8.42ml/g and 12.0% respectively. Neither DM ruminal degradability parameters were affected by the feeding levels (P > 0.05), resulting in 23.3%/h, 47.8%/h and 3.38%/h, for parameters a, b and c respectively. The evaluation of the physical characteristics and DM degradability of leftovers did not elucidate the selective DM intake of ammoniated rice straw by sheep when fed at different levels.