Digestion and rumen fermentation by sheep fed on rations containing rice straw treated or not with urea, fungus and effective micro-organism [electronic resource].

Includes reference

Rice straw has low quality due to its low content of essential nutrients, palatability and digestibility. Therefore, the quality of rice straw needs to be improved in order to increase its digestion by ruminants. The purpose of this study was to compare untreated rice straw and those treated with urea, fungus, and effective micro-organisms in diets of sheep. Digestibility and nitrogen balance trials were carried out using twelve mature Barki rams (average body weight 48/kg) divided into 4 groups and fed on 4 diets: diet 1 untreated rice straw with concentration feed mixture (CFM), diet 2: urea ensiled rice straw with CFM, diet "3: Trichoderma ressie-treated rice straw with CFM, and diet 4: effective micro-organisms ensiled rice straw with CFM. Three female sheep fiffed with permant rumen fistula were used for rumen fermentation parameters, and the nitrogen leaving the rumen was estimated from urinary purine derivatives. Results revealed that digestibility coefficient of nutrients in diet 3 differ significantly from those of other diets. The same trend was observed with the results of nitrogen balance. Values of pH and ammonia-N concentrations in the rumen liquor of sheep showed an opposite trend to those of VFAs concentration. Excretion of purine derivatives in the urine measured as an index for microbial nitrogen leaving the rumen as well as the microbial protein synthesis were enhanced by treating rice straw containing diets.

Summary in Arabic.

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