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The effects of sodium application to grass or concentrates on dry matter digestibility in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

P.C. Chiy ,
M.O. Mohammed  and
C.J.C. Phillips
P.C. Chiy
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OES, UK (formerly of, School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK)
M.O. Mohammed
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OES, UK (formerly of, School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK)
C.J.C. Phillips
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OES, UK (formerly of, School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK)
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Extract

Sodium can increase feed digestibility if a deficiency is rectified by supplementation (Chiy and Phillips, 1991, 1993; Moseley, 1980), but too much can reduce digestibility by creating toxic conditions for rumen microflora. Such conditions may be more exacerbated by adding sodium to concentrates, which are eaten rapidly compared to forage.

Sodium was added either to concentrate (C) or grass (G) at two levels (high.H or low.L) before being fed to 20 Welsh Mountain ewes in metabolism crates. Treatments were applied in a Latin Square design with two week periods, in order to determine the effects on digestibility in comparison with a Control. Ewes were fed 100 g DM concentrate/d, with +0 (Control), 5 (L) or 10 (H) g Na/kg DM added, and fresh cut perennial ryegrass herbage which was soaked in water with 0 (Control), 10 (L) or 20 (H) g NaCl/litre for 15 minutes and then drained for 10 minutes before feeding. Grass contained 183 g CP/kg DM and 297 g MADF/kg DM and 1.7, 4.1 and 7.7 g Na/kg DM for the Control, GL and GH treatments respectively.

Type
Minerals
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1996 , March 1996 , pp. 242
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1996

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References

Chiy, C.P. and Phillips, C.J.C. 1991. The effects of sodium chloride application to pasture or its direct supplementation, on dairy cow production and grazing preference. Grass and Forage Science 46, 325–332 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1991.tb02237.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiy, P.C. and Phillips, C.J.C, 1993. Sodium fertilizer application to pasture. 1. Direct and residual effects on pasture production and composition. Grass and Forage Science 48, 189–202.10.1111/j.1365-2494.1993.tb01852.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moseley, G. 1980. Effect of variation in herbage sodium levels and salt supplementation on the nutritive value of perennial ryegrass for sheep. Grass and Forage Science 35, 105–113 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1980.tb01499.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar