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Fiber Digestion in Lambs Fed an Extract of Aspergillus Oryzae¹

University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506

Abstract

An extract of the fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, was added to a pelleted lamb ration containing corn and orchard grass hay to determine the effect on acid detergent fiber digestion. A metabolism trial, consisting of a single reversal experimental design using eight crossbred wethers, indicated that the A. oryzae extract significantly improved (P<.05) fiber digestion (44.8 vs. 32.7%) during the first period. When the rations were switched, the animals which had not received the A. oryzae during the first period increased fiber digestion to 39.1%. Although differences were not significant in the second period, the favorable significant response during the first period and a 19.8% increase in fiber digestion when the control lambs were switched to the A. oryzae during the second period suggested an adaptive response. A second experiment with 18 early-weaned crossbred wethers was conducted through four 7-day collection trials to determine if the A. oryzae additive would promote an adaptive response to fiber digestion. Fiber digestion for the first week was 55.2% with the additive and 53.8% for the control animals. Differences in average fiber digestion for the 4-week period were not significant (52.6 and 52.5% for the treated and control animals, respectively). Nitrogen balance tended to be lower for the lambs receiving A. oryzae in the first experiment, but there were no differences in nitrogen balance for experiment 2.

¹ The investigation reported in this paper (No. 73-5-56), is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with approval of the Director.

² Present Address: Feed Research Division, Landmark, Inc. Columbus, Ohio 43216.

³ The authors wish to thank Agri-Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, for supplying the enzyme supplement used in this study.