Ciência Animal Brasileira (Dec 2012)
COMPARAÇÃO DA FIBRA EM DETERGENTE NEUTRO DE FORRAGENS: DESEMPENHO, DIGESTIBILIDADE E PARÂMETROS RUMINAIS
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the partial replacement of corn silage NDF by sugarcane NDF or sugarcane treated with NaOH NDF or alfalfa hay NDF, on performance, digestibility and rumen parameters of lactating Holstein cows, cannulated in the rumen and duodenum, which were assigned in a 5×5 Latin Squared design. Two control diets were utilized, one with low (negative control; SMB) and another one with high (positive control; SMA) forage NDF concentration (SMB containing 14% and SMA containing 22% forage NDF from corn silage). Three experimental rations were balanced to contain 14% corn silage NDF and 8% sugar-cane NDF (CAN) or sugar-cane treated with NaOH NDF (CAS) or alfalfa hay NDF (FA). Feed intake, milk production and milk composition were not affected (P>0.05) by diets. There was response (P<0.05) of the concentration and source of forage NDF on rumen pH, molar proportions of short-chain fatty acids, and acetate:propionate ratio. The data of this experiment indicate the viability of replacing 8% corn silage NDF by sugarcane NDF fed to dairy cows with milk yield of 18.2 kg/day