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Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

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Table 1. Effect of level and frequency of supplementation <strong>with</strong> sugar cane<br />

and Cratylia on intake and digestibility of African wethers fed a<br />

low-quality basal grass diet (Quilichao, Cauca, Colombia).<br />

Parameter<br />

DM intake (g/kg LW per<br />

day)<br />

a.m. b<br />

0.5% LW<br />

Frequency and level of supplementation a<br />

a.m.<br />

1% LW<br />

19<br />

a.m. + p.m. c<br />

0.5% LW<br />

a.m. + p.m.<br />

1% LW<br />

Basal diet (grass) 25.7 25.2 25.2 25.7 0.8<br />

Sugarcane 2.5 b* 3.3 b 2.8 b 4.0 a 0.4<br />

Cratylia<br />

Digestibility (%)<br />

2.0 c 3.1 b 2.0 c 3.6 a 0.1<br />

IVDMD 53.0 53.0 55.4 56.6 1.7<br />

NDF 54.1 54.3 57.7 57.1 1.8<br />

ADF 51.6 50.7 54.3 53.1 1.9<br />

a. 60% sugarcane + 40% Cratylia argentea (leaves).<br />

b. Supplement fed once a day at 0.5% or 1% LW.<br />

c. Supplement fed twice a day at 0.5% or 1% LW.<br />

d. Standard error.<br />

* Values in the same column followed by the same letters do not differ significantly (P < 0.05),<br />

according <strong>to</strong> Duncan’s test.<br />

These differences in intake of supplements were not reflected in<br />

significant changes in DM or cell wall digestibility. Nevertheless, there was a<br />

tendency for higher digestibility <strong>with</strong> twice-a-day feeding at both levels of<br />

supplementation.<br />

As expected, N intake was highest <strong>with</strong> increased level of<br />

supplementation (Table 2); however, intake was highest when wethers were<br />

fed twice a day. Because fecal and urinary N did not change <strong>with</strong> treatment,<br />

N retention was greater when sheep were given the forage-based<br />

supplements at the high level and twice a day.<br />

SE d

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