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Digestibility and Metabolism of Mature Tall Fescue Hay Reconstituted and Ensiled with Whole Stillage^1,2,

University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546-0215

Abstract

Digestibility and metabolism studies were conducted (1) to evaluate reconstitution and ensiling of poor quality fescue with whole stillage as a feasible means of protein and energy supplementation for improving forage utilization and (2) to compare distillers byproducts with corn and soybean meal as protein and energy supplements for improving utilization of poor quality fescue fed as silage or hay. Before ensiling, mature (dough stage) Kenhy tall fescue hay was ground and reconstituted with whole stillage (F + WS silage) or with ground corn, soybean meal and water (F + C + SBM silage); remaining experimental treatments consisted of hay supplemented with distillers dried grains with solubles (F + DDG/S) or with corn and soybean meal (F + C + SBM). Apparent ruminal and total tract digestion coefficients for neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose were greater (P<.05) for hay than silage treatments in a digestion study with abomasally cannulated adult wethers. Total tract dry matter digestibility was greatest (P<.05) for F + C + SBM (56.8%) and lowest (P<.05) for F + WS silage (47.5%). Protein nitrogen (N) represented a greater (P<.05) proportion (60.6 vs 54.7%) and nonprotein N represented a smaller (P<.05) proportion (39.4 vs 45.4%) of abomasal total N in wethers receiving distillers byproducts compared with the F + C + SBM diet. In a N metabolism study with growing lambs, daily N retention was greatest (P<.05) and plasma urea-N 3 h postfeeding was lowest (P<.05) for the F + WS silage treatment. Total ruminal volatile fatty acid concentrations 3 h postfeeding did not differ (P>.05) between experimental treatments. Results indicate that wet distillers by-products may be superior to C + SBM and DDG/S as a source of supplemental protein for ruminants fed poor quality forage. Forage reconstituted with whole stillage can be expected to ensile and store satisfactorily if normal precautions for preserving forage anaerobically are observed. While reconstitution and ensiling of poor quality forage with whole stillage offers the potential for saving energy costs of drying distillers feeds, overall utilization of forage nutrients may be lower than that obtained by C + SBM or DDG/S supplementation of the same forage fed as hay.

¹ This paper (No. 82-5-157) is published with the approval of the Director of the Kentucky Agr. Exp. Sta.

² Supported in part by a grant from Distillers Feed Research Council, Cincinnati, OH.

³ Dept. of Anim. Sci.

⁴ Present address: 10363 Cochran Ave., Riverside, CA 92505.