Tropical Animal Health and Production

, Volume 42, Issue 7, pp 1471–1479 | Cite as

Intake and digestibility in cattle fed low-quality tropical forage and supplemented with nitrogenous compounds

  • Claudia B. Sampaio
  • Edenio Detmann
  • Mario F. Paulino
  • Sebastiao C. Valadares Filho
  • Marjorrie A. de Souza
  • Isis Lazzarini
  • Pedro V. Rodrigues Paulino
  • Augusto C. de Queiroz
Original Research
First Online:
Accepted:

Abstract

The effects of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds on intake, digestibility, and microbial protein synthesis in cattle fed low-quality tropical forage were assessed. Five rumen fistulated crossbred Holstein × Gir heifers were used, with initial average live weight of 180 ± 21 kg. Signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) hay (48.6 g kg−1 of crude protein (CP), on a dry matter (DM) basis) was used as roughage. Five treatments were defined according to nitrogen supplementation level (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 g of CP kg−1 above the CP level of the hay). A mixture of urea, ammonium sulfate, and albumin at the ratios of 4.5:0.5:1.0, respectively, was used as nitrogen source. The experiment consisted of five experimental periods, according to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The average CP contents in the diets were 51.9, 71.1, 86.0, 116.7, and 130.2 g kg−1, on a DM basis. A quadratic effect was detected (P < 0.10) of the CP levels in the diets on DM and neutral detergent fiber intake (kg/day), with maximum response at the levels of 102.4 and 100.5 g CP kg−1 DM, respectively. The average daily concentration of rumen ammonia nitrogen showed increasing linear pattern (P < 0.01) as function of CP levels in the diet, with estimated value of 9.64 mg dL−1 equivalent to the maximum DM intake. Microbial nitrogen flow in the intestine was linearly and positively related (P < 0.01) with the CP levels in the diet.

Keywords

Rumen ammonia nitrogen Signal grass Supplementation Urea 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) for financial support.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • Claudia B. Sampaio
    • 1
  • Edenio Detmann
    • 1
  • Mario F. Paulino
    • 1
  • Sebastiao C. Valadares Filho
    • 1
  • Marjorrie A. de Souza
    • 1
  • Isis Lazzarini
    • 1
  • Pedro V. Rodrigues Paulino
    • 1
  • Augusto C. de Queiroz
    • 1
  1. 1.Departamento de ZootecniaUniversidade Federal de ViçosaViçosaBrazil36571-000

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