PALATABILITY AND DRY MATTER INTAKE BY SHEEP FED CORN STOVER TREATED WITH
DIFFERENT NITROGEN SOURCES
I. ALI, J. P. FONTENOT1
AND V. G. ALLEN2
University College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University
of Bahawalpur, Pakistan; 1Department of Animal Sciences, 2Department
of Agronomy, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences,
Virginia Polytechnic
Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA24061, USA
Abstract
A trial was conducted to measure the dry matter intake by sheep fed basal and
basal + corn stover treated with different nitrogen sources. The diets were: 1)
basal, 2) basal + untreated corn stover, 3) basal + 3% NH3-treated
stover, 4) basal + 50% poultry litter treated stover, 5) basal + 5.8%
urea-treated stover, and 6) basal + 5.8% urea + 10% cattle waste-treated stover.
Thirty-six crossbred (1/2
Dorset
x ¼ Finn x ¼ Rambouillet) wethers were assigned according to the initial body
weight into six equal blocks and the sheep within blocks were randomly allotted
to the experimental diets. The animals were kept in individual pens with free
access to feed and water. Dry matter intake was higher (P<0.01) for sheep fed
the basal diet compared to other diets. Intake was higher (P<0.05) for sheep fed
NH3- and urea treated corn stover diets, compared to untreated stover.
Similarly, the intake was higher (P<0.01) for sheep fed 3% NH3
treated corn stover than urea treated stovers. In conclusion, ammonia treatment
of corn stover was more effective in enhancing the dry matter intake by sheep
than those fed urea or poultry litter-treated diets. Addition of cattle waste in
urea treated stover tended to improve the palatability of corn stover over urea
treatment alone, but the difference was non significant. Similarly, the
treatment of corn stover with poultry litter did not improve dry matter intake
or palatability compared to untreated control.