Further Observations on the Digestion of Milo and Barley by Steers and Lambs

Abstract

Digestion trials were conducted with cattle to determine digestibility of milo and barley in a 50% roughage ration (19% crude fiber) and an 85% concentrate ration (9% crude fiber), and the effect of cooking one part of milo with two parts of water at 180° F. for an average of 9 hr. Digestion trials were also conducted with lambs to determine digestibility of all-milo and all-barley rations. With the 50% roughage ration digestion coefficients of the various grain components were similar for milo and barley; however, the TDN was higher for milo. In the 85% concentrate rations digestibility of the protein and NFE of the barley ration was significantly higher than for the milo ration. The same relationship existed for TDN between the two grains. Cooking the milo significantly increased the digestibility of NFE and significantly decreased that of protein. With lambs on all-grain rations digestibility of the NFE and gross energy were significantly greater for milo than for barley. This is contrary to the results obtained with cattle. This suggests that digestibility values for lambs and cattle are not interchangeable for high-grain rations. Copyright © 1965. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1965 by American Society of Animal Science