NUTRITIONAL-EVALUATION OF CATTLE MANURE, MOLASSES AND CORN STOVER SILAGE FOR LAMBS

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional quality of cattle manure silage for lambs. In experiment 1, qualitative character istics, pH and lactic acid were determined in ensiled corn stover (35% ) with four combinations (treatments, T) of fresh cattle manure:cane m olasses-urea mixture (T-1, 55:10; T-2, 45:20; T-3, 35:30; T-4, 25:40). Lactate concentration (% of DM) was greater for the first two combina tions (T-1, 4.6(a); T-2, 4.1(a); T-3, 3.4(b); T-4, 2.7(C); different s uperscripts indicate difference at P < 0.05). Experiment 2 was conduct ed to evaluate apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance of 20 lambs (29.0 +/- 5.5 kg initial BW) fed silage with 50% cattle manure, 8% ca ne molasses, 12% water and 30% corn stover. For this silage, molasses and urea ratio was 20:1. Different silage levels (T-1, 0%; T-2, 16.4%; T-3, 32.7%; T-4, 49.1%; T-5, 65.5%; DM basis) were used in a complete ly randomized design with four lambs per treatment. Diets included sor ghum grain (18.4%) and soybean meal (16.50, 13.20, 9.90, 6.60 and 3.30 %). In T-5 a lower (P < 0.05) apparent digestibility was found for OM (T-1, 57.6%(a); T-2, 59.1%(a); T-3, 55.3%(a); T-4, 53.4%(a); T-5, 51.7 %(b)); but ADF, hemicellulose and energy digestibility did not change (P > 0.05). Nitrogen balance (g day(-1)) was lower (P < 0.05) for T-5 (T-1, 6.4(a); T-2, 5.5(a); T-3, 6.8(a); T-4, 5.8(a); T-5, -0.1(b)). Ac cording to these results, cattle manure can be ensiled when molasses a nd urea proportions are adequate (20:1), and DM digestibility is not a ffected negatively if cattle manure silage is included up to 49% (DM b asis) in lambs diets. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.