Fermentation quality and nutritive value of total mixed ration silage containing coffee grounds at 10 or 20% of dry matter

¹ Department of Animal Feeding and Management, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2793, Japan

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: xucc{at}affrc.go.jp.

	Abstract

Six wethers were used in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square to study the fermentation quality and nutritive value of total mixed ration (TMR) silages which included wet coffee grounds (WCG). The TMR silages were prepared using commercial compound feed, timothy hay, alfalfa hay, dried beet pulp, and vitamin-mineral supplement in a ratio of 36.5:30:20:12:1.5, respectively, on a DM basis, with timothy hay and alfalfa hay being replaced by WCG at 0, 10 or 20%. All TMR silages, irrespective of WCG addition, were well preserved with low pH and ammonia-N content, and high lactic acid content. Intakes by wethers of TMR silages containing 0 and 10% WCG were 96.6 and 94.8 g/kg BW^0.75, and did not differ (P > 0.05). Intake of TMR silage containing 20% WCG was 76.8 g/kg BW^0.75, which was equal to 80% of that of the TMR silage with no WCG (quadratic: P < 0.01). Increasing concentrations of WCG in the rations decreased the digestibility of DM, CP, ADF, NDF and energy, and increased that of ether extract (P < 0.05). The TDN and DE contents of TMR silages with 0 and 10% WCG were similar, but the TMR silage with 20% WCG was lower (P < 0.05). With progressive increases in WCG concentrations, N intake did not differ, but fecal and urinary N increased linearly (P < 0.001), and retained N decreased linearly (P < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the proportion of WCG to be incorporated into TMR silages should not exceed 10% of the DM.

Key Words: intake, nutritive value, total mixed ration silage, wet coffee grounds, wethers