DIGESTIBILITY (TOTAL AND PRAEILEAL) AND V ALUATION OF CORN-SILAGE ANDCORN COB SILAGE IN HORSES

A digestibility trial was carried out with 3 intact and 4 fistulated ( end of jejunum) horses to determine the total and praeileal digestibil ity of com silage and corn cob silages (13 resp. 4 % crude fiber/DM. t ab. 1). Com silage and the fiber rich CCM were fed exclusively, the lo w fiber CCM in combination with hay (21, 8 % of DM in the diet). Total digestibility were determined by quantitative sampling of feces (10 d ays), the praeileal digestibility by marker Cr2O3) and an aliquot samp ling method (11 sampling periods postprandial for 15 min, 4 days). The digestibility of the CCM fed in combination with hay was calculated b y the method of difference.The total apparent digestibility of the org anic matter in the 3 feeds were 73, 81 and 90 %; that of crude protein 72, 70, and 86 % (tab. 3). Praeileal CP digestibility of com silage r esp, CCM was 25 resp. 40 % (tab. 4). The total digestibility of starch was nearly 100 %; the praeileal digestibility of com silage was signi ficantly higher (77 +/- 10 %) than that of CCM (65 +/- 13 %): Per kg D M the following values for DE resp. digestible protein for com silage resp. fiber rich CCM were calculated: 12,6 and 14,4 MJ and 67 and 62 g .