The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep

A feeding trial with sheep was carried out at the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia to investigate the concept of using mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes to dilute tannin levels in the diet and improve nitrogen (N) utilisation by ruminants. Intake, digestibil...

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Main Authors: Fassler, OM, Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 1995
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/44164
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author Fassler, OM
Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_browse Fassler, OM
Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_facet Fassler, OM
Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
author_sort Fassler, OM
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description A feeding trial with sheep was carried out at the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia to investigate the concept of using mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes to dilute tannin levels in the diet and improve nitrogen (N) utilisation by ruminants. Intake, digestibility and N retention were measured with animals consuming: low quality grass (Brachiaria dictyoneura) alone; low quality grass supplemented with Cratylia argentea alone (49:51); and grass plus C. argentea with high tannin Flemingia macrophylla at 2 levels (53:37:10; 55:26:19). The 2 diets with F. macrophylla averaged 0.5 and 0.9% extractable condensed tannins. Intake and N retention were not significantly affected by legume supplementation, even though apparent N digestibility was higher when legumes were added. Urinary nitrogen was reduced as F. macrophylla increased in the legume mixture, suggesting less rumen ammonia losses due to protein protection by condensed tannins. However, with more F. macrophylla in the mixture, there was a reduction in dry matter and fibre digestion and an increase in faecal N and faecal N-ADF. These results suggest that, in formulating legume mixtures to supplement low quality forages, it is important to consider not only tannin levels but also the digestibility of the legumes used.
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spelling CGSpace441642025-11-12T05:55:11Z The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep Fassler, OM Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo animal feeding feed crops feed legumes cratylia maughania insolation brachiaria dictyoneura digestibility nitrogen metabolism sheep leguminosas forrajeras insolación alimentación de los animales digestibilidad metabolismo del nitrógeno ovinos A feeding trial with sheep was carried out at the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia to investigate the concept of using mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes to dilute tannin levels in the diet and improve nitrogen (N) utilisation by ruminants. Intake, digestibility and N retention were measured with animals consuming: low quality grass (Brachiaria dictyoneura) alone; low quality grass supplemented with Cratylia argentea alone (49:51); and grass plus C. argentea with high tannin Flemingia macrophylla at 2 levels (53:37:10; 55:26:19). The 2 diets with F. macrophylla averaged 0.5 and 0.9% extractable condensed tannins. Intake and N retention were not significantly affected by legume supplementation, even though apparent N digestibility was higher when legumes were added. Urinary nitrogen was reduced as F. macrophylla increased in the legume mixture, suggesting less rumen ammonia losses due to protein protection by condensed tannins. However, with more F. macrophylla in the mixture, there was a reduction in dry matter and fibre digestion and an increase in faecal N and faecal N-ADF. These results suggest that, in formulating legume mixtures to supplement low quality forages, it is important to consider not only tannin levels but also the digestibility of the legumes used. 1995 2014-10-02T08:33:21Z 2014-10-02T08:33:21Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/44164 en Open Access application/pdf
spellingShingle animal feeding
feed crops
feed legumes
cratylia
maughania
insolation
brachiaria dictyoneura
digestibility
nitrogen metabolism
sheep
leguminosas forrajeras
insolación
alimentación de los animales
digestibilidad
metabolismo del nitrógeno
ovinos
Fassler, OM
Lascano Aguilar, Carlos Eduardo
The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title_full The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title_fullStr The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title_full_unstemmed The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title_short The effect of mixtures of sun-dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
title_sort effect of mixtures of sun dried tropical shrub legumes on intake and nitrogen balance by sheep
topic animal feeding
feed crops
feed legumes
cratylia
maughania
insolation
brachiaria dictyoneura
digestibility
nitrogen metabolism
sheep
leguminosas forrajeras
insolación
alimentación de los animales
digestibilidad
metabolismo del nitrógeno
ovinos
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/44164
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