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Evaluation of whisky distillery by‐products III.—Effect of calcium supplements on the digestibility and intake of ruminant diets containing malt distiller's grains
Author(s) -
Miller T. B.,
El Hag G. A.,
Pratt G.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740210107
Subject(s) - silage , hay , calcium , straw , chemistry , ruminant , food science , zoology , agronomy , biology , pasture , organic chemistry
Digestibility and intake data have been obtained from sheep fed on rations consisting of fresh and ensiled malt distiller's grains ( MDG ) fed alone and with hay and silage. The effects of calcium supplements have been measured with all rations, and calcium lactate has been compared with calcium carbonate. The results of digestibility trials with cattle have been included; in these the effect of additional calcium has been estimated with rations of barley straw + MDG. When MDG was fed alone the intakes of fresh and ensiled forms were similar and there was a significant decrease in intake with duration of feeding. Fresh MDG had a significantly higher digestibility, and additional calcium increased the digestibilities of fresh and ensiled samples. The intakes of rations containing hay + MDG and silage + MDG were positively correlated with digestibilities of the whole ration. Additional calcium resulted in higher intakes of hay and MDG but silage intakes were unaffected. The effect of added calcium was greater with hay + fresh MDG than with other combinations of constituents. Calcium carbonate and calcium lactate were equally effective in increasing intake. The addition of NaCl during the ensilage of MDG reduced the retention of magnesium by sheep given grains with hay and silage. Addition of calcium to cattle rations of barley straw and MDG produced an increase in the intake but digestibility of the diet was not affected. The rations with calcium provided 0·75 × maintenance requirements of the cattle for metabolisable energy and about twice the maintenance requirements for digestible crude protein.