Authors : S. Chumpawadee and O. Pimpa
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of non forage fiber sources in a total mixed ration on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, chewing behavior and ruminal fermentation. Five Brahman-Thai native crossbred steers with an average initial body weight of 188±16.56 kg were randomly assigned in a 5x5 Latin square design. During each of five 21 days periods, the animals were fed 5 total mixed rations that varied in the non forage fiber sources, rice straw as fiber sources (rt-TMR, control), tomato pomace as fiber source (tp-TMR), palm meal as fiber source (pm-TMR), dried brewer gain as fiber source (db-TMR), soybean hulls as fiber source (sh-TMR). The results showed that feed intake, crude protein digestibility, chewing time, total number of chew and ruminal fermentation were significantly different among treatments (p<0.05). The palm meal as a fiber source in the total mixed ration has negative effect on feed intake and chewing behavior, although enhanced by 5% of long hey fiber. However, tomato pomace, dried brewer gain and soybean hulls can be used as fiber sources in TMRs, when enhanced with 5% of long hey fiber.
S. Chumpawadee and O. Pimpa, 2009. Effects of Non Forage Fiber Sources in Total Mixed Ration on Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility, Chewing Behavior and Ruminal Fermentation in Beef Cattle . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 2038-2044.