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Dye as a Reference Material for Determining the Digestibility of a Ration with Lambs¹

University of Illinois³

Abstract

This experiment was designed to find a reference material that could be fed to lambs and completely recovered in the feces. With such a material the use of existing formulae would permit the calculation of digestible nutrients in a ration to be made without a total collection of feces.

Anthraquinone violet dye was fed to nine lambs and the recovery of the dye from the feces ranged from 96.4 to 106.0 with an average of 1OO.5±2.8 percent. The dye was not observed to be toxic to the animals under the conditions of the test.

A rapid and efficient method of extraction and determination of small amounts of dye in the feces of lambs is presented. This method is based on the extraction of dye with benzene and the measurement of density with a spectrophotometer. By a comparison of the density obtained with a calibrated density-concentration curve, the amount of dye extracted can be measured.

¹ The data are taken from a thesis submitted by J. E. Corbin in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

² Present address: National Oats Company, East St. Louis, Illinois.

³ Department of Animal Science, Urbana, Illinois.