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A note on the value of molasses and tapioca as energy supplements to forage for growing steers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

F. A. Ahmed
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
M. Kay
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
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Summary

The intake and digestibility of diets containing dried grass supplemented with either molasses or tapioca was studied with 12 Friesian steers in two experiments, using a Latin square design. Three periods were used, each containing 3 weeks preliminary followed by a 10-day collection period. In both experiments long, artificially dried grass was given to appetite (treatment A). The other treatments in Experiment 1 were 25% molasses plus 75% dried grass (B) and 50% molasses plus 50% dried grass (C). In Experiment 2 the treatments were 21% tapioca plus 79% dried grass (D) and 42% tapioca plus 58% dried grass (E). There was no significant difference in dry matter or organic matter intake between the diets, though the intakes in both experiments tended to be lower when the dried grass was supplemented with either molasses or tapioca than when it was given alone. Nor were there any significant differences in the digestibility of dry matter or organic matter between the diets in either experiment. In both experiments the digestibility of crude fibre was significantly lower (P<0·05) when either molasses or tapioca was given with the dried grass than when the grass was offered alone.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1975

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References

REFERENCES

Association Of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1965. Official Methods of Analysis, 10th ed. The Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Campbell, A. J. 1972. Ration formulation and substitutes. Feed Formulations of the Future, Inst. Corn Agric. Merchants Conf, Banbury.Google Scholar