Effect of storage time of multiple-nutrient blocks on intake and digestibility of prairie hay by sheeps

• Omar E. Araujo-Febres ^[1] ; Juan Vergara-Lopez ^[2] ; Aura Elena Ortega ^[1] ; Mariela B. Lachmann ^[1]
  1. [1] La Universidad del Zulia

     La Universidad del Zulia

     Venezuela

     
  2. [2] INIA, Zulia, Venezuela
• Localización: Archivos Latinoamericanos de Producción Animal, ISSN 1022-1301, ISSN-e 1022-1301, Vol. 9, Nº. 2, 2001
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Twelve intact male African hair sheep (4 mo of age and 16 kg liveweight) were used to compare the digestibilities of three diets: T1 (control), Brachiaria humidicola hay ad libitum; (T2), hay plus a multinutrient block (MB) stored for 15 d; T3, hay plus aMB stored for 45 d. The sole formula (%) of the MB’s was: cane molasses, 40.0%; corn meal, 26.75%; ground limestone, 10.0%; salt, 10.0%; mineral supplement, 8.0%; urea, 5.0%; and sulfur, 0.25%. Following 12 d to accustom the animals to metabolism stalls, feces and urine were collected for 6 d. Daily dry matter (DM) intake from hay increased from 697 g in T1 to 700 g in T2 (P.05), while corresponding increases in totalDM(P