J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1972. 35:418-422.
© 1972 American Society of Animal Science
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Chemical Treatment of Low Quality Roughages1

T. J. Klopfenstein, V. E. Krause, M. J. Jones and Walter Woods2

University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68503

Abstract

Alfalfa stems, corn cobs, whole corn plant and corn stalks were treated with sodium hydroxide or peroxides and fed to lambs in digestion and metabolism trials. The dry roughages were mixed with the chemicals and enough water to increase the moisture to 50%. The materials were fed after a 48-hr. reaction period or after ensiling. Four percent NaOH treatment increased the dry matter digestibility of alfalfa stems by 6.8 percentage units. Corn cob dry matter digestibility increased by 11.2 percentage units due to 4% NaOH treatment. In vitro DMD of whole corn plant increased 9.7 percentage units but in vivo organic matter digestibility increased by only 2.5 percentage units. In vitro DMD of corn stalks increased 12.8 and 19.5 percentage units, respectively, with 3 and 5% NaOH treatment. In vivo organic matter digestibility of corn stalks increased 10.1 and 11.2 percentage units, respectively, for 3 and 5% NaOH treatment when fed supplemented only with urea, minerals and vitamins. The five percent NaOH treated stalks showed a 20.5 percentage unit increase in organic matter digestibility compared to untreated stalks when both were fed in combination with ground alfalfa stems. These results indicate that poor quality roughages can be treated with 3 to 5% NaOH, the moist mixture after ensiling is consumed readily by lambs without further treatment, and that the dry matter digestibility is increased by sufficient magnitude to potentially improve animal performance.

Footnotes

1 Published with the approval of the Director as Paper No. 5651, Journal Series, Nebraska Agriculture Experiment Station. Research reported was conducted under Project No. 13-14. This research was supported in part by U.S.D.A., A.R.S., WRRL, Berkeley, California.

2 Present address: Animal Science Department, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47907.






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Copyright © 1972 by the American Society of Animal Science.