Volume 16, Issue 2 (5-2025)
Res Anim Prod 2025, 16(2): 56-65 |
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Doosti Fard M, Norouzian M A. (2025). The Effect of Substituting Wheat Straw with Sugarcane Bagasse on Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Parameters, and Performance in Fattening Zandi Lambs. Res Anim Prod. 16(2), 56-65. doi:10.61882/rap.2024.1464
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1464-en.html
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1464-en.html
1- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Technology of Abouraihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (514 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: The production of lignocellulosic materials from agricultural and industrial activities is substantial worldwide, representing the most abundant renewable energy source on earth. A significant portion of these materials is utilized as animal feed, particularly in developing countries with extensive livestock populations. Ruminants possess the unique ability to convert relatively unusable fibrous by-products, such as straws, fruit waste, and bagasse, which have low digestibility and are primarily composed of cell walls, into human-consumable products. This conversion process is facilitated by the microbial fermentation occurring in the rumen, enabling ruminants to extract energy from otherwise inaccessible carbohydrate sources for non-ruminant species. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing wheat straw, a commonly used roughage source, with different levels of sugarcane bagasse on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of Zel fattening lambs.
Methods: The experiment was conducted in two distinct parts. The chemical composition, gas production characteristics, and estimated energy values of the wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse samples to be used in the feeding trial were determined in the first part. Three replicates of each sample were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents using standard procedures. Additionally, the gas production potential of the samples was measured by recording the cumulative gas volume produced at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of incubation. The gas production data were fitted to the exponential equation to estimate the potential gas production (b), the rate of gas production (c), and other fermentation kinetic parameters. Based on the gas production values, metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were calculated using empirical equations. The effect of replacing wheat straw with sugarcane bagasse on growth performance, blood parameters, and nutrient digestibility of Zel fattening lambs was evaluated in the second part. The experiment was conducted at the research farm of the University of Tehran, located in Pakdasht, Tehran Province, Iran. Fifteen Zandi male lambs with an initial weight of 31 ± 1.5 kg were used in a completely randomized design with three treatments and five replications. The lambs were housed individually in individual cages and fed the experimental diets for 90 days after a 10-day adaptation period. The experimental diets were formulated as total mixed rations based on the NRC (2007) nutrient requirements for sheep and included 1) a control diet containing 15% wheat straw, 2) a diet with 7.5% wheat straw and 7.5% sugarcane bagasse, and 3) a diet with 15% sugarcane bagasse. At the beginning of the trial, the lambs were weighed after a 16-hour fasting period, and this weight was considered the initial body weight. Body weight was recorded every 2 weeks, and feed intake was measured daily. At the end of the experiment, nutrient digestibility was determined using a 3-day collection of feces using the AIA method. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at the end of the trial, and serum was separated and analyzed for glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglycerides, cholesterol, total proteins, and albumin.
Results: The chemical analysis revealed that sugarcane bagasse contained a lower crude protein content (2.67%) than wheat straw (4.46%), indicating its inferior protein quality. Conversely, sugarcane bagasse exhibited higher fiber fractions, including neutral detergent fiber (88.5%) and acid detergent fiber (70.59%), than wheat straw (NDF: 73.1 and ADF: 51.91). The gas production results corroborated the chemical composition findings, showing that wheat straw had higher potential gas production (b), metabolizable energy (ME), and organic matter digestibility (OMD) than sugarcane bagasse. Regarding lamb performance, there were no significant differences in the feed conversion ratio among the dietary treatments. However, dry matter intake and BWG decreased (P < 0.01) with increasing bagasse levels in the diet, which may be due to the higher fiber content and lower digestibility of bagasse than wheat straw. The nutrient digestibility results revealed that diets containing sugarcane bagasse had lower digestibility coefficients for crude protein than the control diet containing only wheat straw. This finding is consistent with the chemical composition and gas production data, indicating that the higher fiber and lignin content of bagasse hinders nutrient utilization by the lambs. Blood parameters, including glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglycerides, and total protein, were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. However, lambs fed diets containing bagasse had lower serum concentrations of albumin and cholesterol than the control group fed the wheat straw diet.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that sugarcane bagasse can be included up to 7.5% in Zel fattening lamb diets without negatively affecting the feed conversion ratio. Higher inclusion levels of bagasse may decrease dry matter intake, potentially due to its higher fiber and lignin content than wheat straw. The lower nutrient digestibility observed with bagasse-containing diets, particularly for protein, can be attributed to the higher recalcitrance of bagasse fibers to microbial degradation and fermentation. Overall, the findings suggest that sugarcane bagasse can be considered a potential alternative fiber source for fattening lambs, particularly in regions where it is abundantly available. However, the inclusion level of bagasse should be optimized to maintain adequate nutrient utilization, dry matter intake, and performance.
Background: The production of lignocellulosic materials from agricultural and industrial activities is substantial worldwide, representing the most abundant renewable energy source on earth. A significant portion of these materials is utilized as animal feed, particularly in developing countries with extensive livestock populations. Ruminants possess the unique ability to convert relatively unusable fibrous by-products, such as straws, fruit waste, and bagasse, which have low digestibility and are primarily composed of cell walls, into human-consumable products. This conversion process is facilitated by the microbial fermentation occurring in the rumen, enabling ruminants to extract energy from otherwise inaccessible carbohydrate sources for non-ruminant species. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing wheat straw, a commonly used roughage source, with different levels of sugarcane bagasse on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of Zel fattening lambs.
Methods: The experiment was conducted in two distinct parts. The chemical composition, gas production characteristics, and estimated energy values of the wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse samples to be used in the feeding trial were determined in the first part. Three replicates of each sample were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents using standard procedures. Additionally, the gas production potential of the samples was measured by recording the cumulative gas volume produced at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of incubation. The gas production data were fitted to the exponential equation to estimate the potential gas production (b), the rate of gas production (c), and other fermentation kinetic parameters. Based on the gas production values, metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were calculated using empirical equations. The effect of replacing wheat straw with sugarcane bagasse on growth performance, blood parameters, and nutrient digestibility of Zel fattening lambs was evaluated in the second part. The experiment was conducted at the research farm of the University of Tehran, located in Pakdasht, Tehran Province, Iran. Fifteen Zandi male lambs with an initial weight of 31 ± 1.5 kg were used in a completely randomized design with three treatments and five replications. The lambs were housed individually in individual cages and fed the experimental diets for 90 days after a 10-day adaptation period. The experimental diets were formulated as total mixed rations based on the NRC (2007) nutrient requirements for sheep and included 1) a control diet containing 15% wheat straw, 2) a diet with 7.5% wheat straw and 7.5% sugarcane bagasse, and 3) a diet with 15% sugarcane bagasse. At the beginning of the trial, the lambs were weighed after a 16-hour fasting period, and this weight was considered the initial body weight. Body weight was recorded every 2 weeks, and feed intake was measured daily. At the end of the experiment, nutrient digestibility was determined using a 3-day collection of feces using the AIA method. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at the end of the trial, and serum was separated and analyzed for glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglycerides, cholesterol, total proteins, and albumin.
Results: The chemical analysis revealed that sugarcane bagasse contained a lower crude protein content (2.67%) than wheat straw (4.46%), indicating its inferior protein quality. Conversely, sugarcane bagasse exhibited higher fiber fractions, including neutral detergent fiber (88.5%) and acid detergent fiber (70.59%), than wheat straw (NDF: 73.1 and ADF: 51.91). The gas production results corroborated the chemical composition findings, showing that wheat straw had higher potential gas production (b), metabolizable energy (ME), and organic matter digestibility (OMD) than sugarcane bagasse. Regarding lamb performance, there were no significant differences in the feed conversion ratio among the dietary treatments. However, dry matter intake and BWG decreased (P < 0.01) with increasing bagasse levels in the diet, which may be due to the higher fiber content and lower digestibility of bagasse than wheat straw. The nutrient digestibility results revealed that diets containing sugarcane bagasse had lower digestibility coefficients for crude protein than the control diet containing only wheat straw. This finding is consistent with the chemical composition and gas production data, indicating that the higher fiber and lignin content of bagasse hinders nutrient utilization by the lambs. Blood parameters, including glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglycerides, and total protein, were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. However, lambs fed diets containing bagasse had lower serum concentrations of albumin and cholesterol than the control group fed the wheat straw diet.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that sugarcane bagasse can be included up to 7.5% in Zel fattening lamb diets without negatively affecting the feed conversion ratio. Higher inclusion levels of bagasse may decrease dry matter intake, potentially due to its higher fiber and lignin content than wheat straw. The lower nutrient digestibility observed with bagasse-containing diets, particularly for protein, can be attributed to the higher recalcitrance of bagasse fibers to microbial degradation and fermentation. Overall, the findings suggest that sugarcane bagasse can be considered a potential alternative fiber source for fattening lambs, particularly in regions where it is abundantly available. However, the inclusion level of bagasse should be optimized to maintain adequate nutrient utilization, dry matter intake, and performance.
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