Growth performance of ruminants fed different proportions of maize and sorghum grain

摘要

Twoexperimentswereconductedtodeterminetheeffectofcombiningmaizeandsorghumgrainhighinsolubleproanthocyanidins(PAs)(3.466A550/gsample)onsteerandwetherfeedintake,digestibility,growthandfeedconversionratio.ThefirstexperimentassessedtheeffectsofcombiningmaizeandsorghumgrainhighinPAs(3.47A550/gsample)onintakeanddigestibilityofthedietsfedtowethers.TwentyfiveDorperwethers(meaninitialbodymass37.3±5.3kg)of18monthsofagewerestratifiedbyinitialweightthenrandomlyallottedtofivedietsinacompleterandomiseddesignwithineachbodymassgroupwith5replicatespergroupandwerefedoneofthefollowingdiets:100%maize(100M);75%maizeand25%sorghum(75M:25S);50%maizeand50%sorghum(50M:50S);25%maizeand75%sorghum(25M:75S);100%sorghum(100S).Inthesecondexperimenttheeffectofcombiningmaizeandsorghumgrainonfeedlotperformancewasevaluated.Thirtysteers(12monthsold)wereallottedto5pens.ThecompositionofthedietswasasdescribedinTrial1.nbsp;nbsp;Feedintakeofthewetherswasnotaffectedbythetreatments.nbsp;Digestibilityofdrymatter(DM),organicmatter(OM),neutraldetergentfibre(NDF)andaciddetergentfibre(ADF)ranked50M:50S100M75M:25S25M:75S100S.nbsp;Thefeedconversionofthesteerswassimilaronalldiets,butthosefedthesorghumdiethadgreateraveragedailygainsthanthosefedmaize.Carcasstraitswerenotaffectedbygraintype.Resultsfromthisstudyindicatethatsorghumgrainisusefulasasourceofenergyinpenfatteningdiets.