Effect of replacing barley grain with wheat bran on intake and utilisationof nutrients in adult sheep

Twelve healthy adult ewes (mean body weight 27.42+/-1.43 kg) were divided i nto three equal groups (C-1, C-2 and C-3) following randomised block design . Animals in group C-1 were fed a concentrate mixture having 35% crushed ba rley grain, whereas in groups C-2 and C-3 barley grain was replaced with wh eat bran at 50% and 100% levels, respectively. Wheat straw was fed ad libit um as sole roughage to all the animals. A 6-day metabolism trial was conduc ted after 21 days of experimental feeding. It was observed that the replace ment of barley grain even at 100% level did not adversely affect dry matter intake (DMI). Digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), tot al carbohydrates and nitrogen free extract (NFE) were similar in groups C-1 and C-2, but they were significantly reduced in group C-3. Digestibility o f crude fibre was found to improve with the decreasing levels of grain. Whi le level of grain did not affect crude protein (CP) digestibility and diges tible CP (DCP) content in the three diets, nitrogen balance was significant ly reduced in both C-2 and C-3. Total digestible nutrients (TDN) were 54.95 %, 53.56% and 48.67% in groups C-1, C-2 and C-3, respectively. From the res ults it may be deduced that the barley grain can be replaced with wheat bra n up to a 50% level in the diet of adult sheep. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B .V. All rights reserved.