Subject(s)
Animal Feed , Cattle/physiology , Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Motility , Rumen/physiology , Silage , Animals , Female , Rumen/metabolismABSTRACT
Recommendations are given saying that sugar-to-crude fibre rations of not more than 1.7:1 and sugar-to-urea ratios of 12:1 should be used in the fattening of cattle fed urea-supplemented rations of roughages in which 40% to 50% of the crude protein content of the ration had been replaced by urea. The amount of sugar per kg live-weight should not exceed 4 g. Higher quantities reduce the digestibility of crude fibre and, additionally, decrease the NH3 level and the pH in the rumen. At the same time the amount of volatile fatty acids is increased while the content of ruminal acetic acid decreases. Variations in the sugar-to-starch ratio had no statistically significant influence on the nitrogen balance whereas it was found that increasing quantities of sugar significantly decreased the digestibility of crude fibre. The proportional content of sugar in the readily metabolisable carbohydrates contained in the ration should not exceed 20% to 50%.
Subject(s)
Carbohydrate Metabolism , Fermentation , Rumen/metabolism , Starch/metabolism , Urea/metabolism , Animal Feed , Animals , CattleABSTRACT
Animal fat was administered in fat-supplemented mixtures of concentrates in amounts varying from 0%, 5%, to 10%. The trials were carried out on 12 dairy cows. The best results were obtained with mixed concentrates containing 5% of animal fat. Animals on these food rations produced 6.75% more milk (expressed in units of fat-corrected milk (FCM) and 9.87% more milk fat. Additions of animal fat affected the composition of milk fat in such a way that the milk contained smaller portions of short-chain fatty acids and higher proportions of stearic and oleic acid.
