Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:39:55.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The utilization of ammonia-treated whole wheat grain by young steers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Susan G. Low  and
R. C. Kellaway
Susan G. Low
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
R. C. Kellaway
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
Get access

Abstract

Wheat grain was given whole (W), cracked (C) or ammonia-treated (N) as the sole diet to six steers. In Expt 1, W, C and N were given at the rate of 2·1 kg per head per day. In Expt 2, W and N were given at the rate of 7·35 kg per head twice weekly; feeding of C had to be abandoned due to frequent bloat. Dry-matter digestibility was 0·79, 0·86 and 0·88 on W, C and N in Expt 1 and 0·75 and 0·83 on W and N in Expt 2.

The digestibility of neutral detergent fibre was 0·37, 0·24 and 0·57 with diets W, C and N respectively in Expt 1 and 0·27 and 0·47 with diets W and N in Expt 2.

The quantity of whole grain voided in faeces (g/kg grain fed) was 122, 3 and 31 with W, C and N in Expt 1 and 136 and 51 with W and N in Expt 2. Voided grains had a lower ratio of cr-glucose: neutral detergent fibre than grains fed, which indicated partial digestion of starch. Rates of nitrogen retention (g/day) were 6·6, 9·4 and 9·8 with W, C and N in Expt 1 and 7·2 and 12·2 with W and N in Expt 2.

It was concluded that ammonia-treated whole wheat grain is utilized as efficiently as cracked wheat grain when given as a sole diet to cattle and results in fewer digestive disturbances than cracked wheat grain.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , August 1983 , pp. 113 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Berger, L. L., Anderson, G. D. and Fahey, G. C. 1981. Alkali treatment of cereal grains. 1. In situ and in vitro evaluation. J. Anim. Sci. 53: 138–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capper, B. S., Morgan, D. J. and Parr, W. H. 1977. Alkali-treated roughages for feeding ruminants: a review. Trop. Sci. 19: 73–78.Google Scholar
Hartley, R. D. and Jones, E. C. 1978. Effect of aqueous ammonia and other alkalis on the in vitro digestibility of barley straw. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 29: 92–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimberley, C. J. 1976. Effect of age of cattle on digestion of whole wheat or oats fed with clover hay. Aust. J. exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 16: 795–799.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Low, S. G. and Kellaway, R. C. 1980. Ammonia treatment of whole wheat grain for cattle. Proc. Nutr. Soc. Aust. 6: 189 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
MacRae, J. C. and Armstrong, D. G. 1968. Enzyme method for determination of α-linked glucose polymers in biological material. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 19: 578–581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moir, K. W. 1971. In vivo and in vitro digestible fractions in forage. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 22: 338–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, C. A. and Campling, R. C. 1978. Digestibility of whole barley and oat grains by cattle of different ages. Anim. Prod. 27: 323–329.Google Scholar
Nicholson, J. W. G., Gorrill, A. D. L. and Burgess, P. L. 1971. Loss in digestible nutrients when ensiled barley is fed whole. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 51: 697–700.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
αrskov, E. R. 1979. Alkali treatment of straw and grain. Rowett Res. Inst. A. Rep. of Studies in Animal Nutrition and Allied Sciences 35: 109–118.Google Scholar
αrskov, E. R., Barnes, B. J. and Lukins, B. A. 1980. A note on the effect of different amounts of NaOH application on digestibility by cattle of barley, oats, wheat and maize. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 94: 271–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
αrskov, E. R. and Greenhalgh, J. F. D. 1977. Alkali treatment as a method of processing whole grain for cattle. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 89: 253–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
αrskov, E. R. and MacDearmid, A. 1978. Utilization of alkali-treated grain by cattle. Anim. Prod. 26: 401–402 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
αrskov, E. R., Soliman, H. S. and MacDearmid, A. 1978. Intake of hay by cattle given supplements of barley subjected to various forms of physical treatment or treatment with alkali. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 90: 611–615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Preston, T. R. 1963. Barley-beef production. Vet. Rec. 75: 1399–1402.Google Scholar
Sriskandarajah, N., Ashwood, A. and Kellaway, R. C. 1980. Effect of rolling and alkali treatment of barley grain supplements on forage intake and utilization by steers and lactating cows. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 95: 555–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H. 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Toland, P. C. 1976. The digestibility of wheat, barley or oat grain fed either whole or rolled at restricted levels with hay to steers. Aust. J. exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 16: 71–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toland, P. C. 1979. Loss of starch and fibre of whole grain in nylon bags suspended in the rumen of steers. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 92: 243–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, G. F., Adeeb, N. N. and Campling, R. C. 1973. The apparent digestibility of maize grain when given in various physical forms to adult sheep and cattle. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 80: 259–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar