EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF UNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS IN SHEEP ON DIGESTIBILITY, AND ESTIMATION OF RUMINAL BIOHYDROGENATION

Different sources of unsaturated fatty acids (FA) were used on sheep a control diet (C) was compared with diets containing soya oil (SO), em ulsified soya oil (ESO), calcium salts of soja oil FA (CaS) and calciu m salts of palm oil FA (CaP). Effects on digestibility were studied on diets C, SO, ESO and CaS : diets SO and ESO decreased fiber digestibi lity, and depressed in situ degradation of chopped hay. Fat of diet Ca S was poorly absorbed compared with oils. Ruminal biohydrogenation was studied on diets SO, ESO, CaS and CaP : ruminal saturation of unsatur ated FA was high with oils, with an important formation of transvaccen ic acid.