Effect of Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus) ensilaging with two developed enzyme cocktails on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in sheep. (16th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alsersy, Haidy; Salem, Abdelfattah Z. M.; Borhami, Borhami E.; Olivares, Jaime; Gado, Hany M.; Mariezcurrena, Maria D.; Yacuot, Mohamed H.; Kholif, Ahmed E.; El‐Adawy, Mounir; Hernandez, Saul R.
• Is Part Of: Animal science journal. Volume 86:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 58
• Publication Date: 2014-09-16
• Subjects: Animal culture -- Periodicals; Livestock -- Periodicals; 636
• DOI: 10.1111/asj.12247
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1344-3941

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of this study was to assess the effects of feeding <italic>Atriplex halimus</italic> (AH) silage treated with two developed enzyme cocktails to sheep on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation. The AH silage was treated without or with 2 L of ZAD1<sup>®</sup> or ZAD2<sup>®</sup>/1000 kg with 5% molasses and ensiled for 30 days. Barley grain (300 g/head/day) was fed as an energy supplement once daily at 10.00 hours and AH silage with or without enzyme treatment was offered <italic>ad libitum</italic> to animals twice daily at 09.00 and 16.00 hours. Sheep were fed on four experimental forage diets comprised of AH silage and barley (D1), AH silage treated with ZAD1<sup>®</sup> and barley (D2), AH silage treated with ZAD2<sup>®</sup> and barley (D3) and AH silage treated with a combination of ZAD1<sup>®</sup> and ZAD2<sup>®</sup> (1:1) and barley (D4). Ensiling AH with enzymes reduced its contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. The dry matter intake of AH of D2, D3 and D4 decreased (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001) as compared to D1. However, enzyme‐treated diets had greater total digestible nutrients intake (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001) as compared to D1. The nutrients digestibility for D2, D3 and D4 were higher than those for D1 (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001), and were higher for D3 as compared to both D2 and D4. Sheep fed on D3 had highest (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001) ruminal total volatile fatty acids concentration, ammonia nitrogen concentration and microbial protein yield. It could be concluded that AH silage treated with ZAD1<sup>®</sup> or ZAD2<sup>®</sup> improved digestibility and rumen fermentation in sheep.</p> </abstract>