The digestibility, for sheep, of the cellulose in a poor veld hay, as affected by supplements of a mixture of concentrates and green feed

Abstract

The influence of varying amounts of a supplement consisting of starch, casein, brewers yeast and minerals, alone and in conjunction with one of green feed, on the digestibility of the cellulose in a basal ration of poor veld hay, containing only 2.2 per cent. protein, has been tested in a series of digestion trials with sheep. It is concluded that: (1) The ability of sheep to digest cellulose was impaired when kept for any length of time on the basal diet of veld hay only. (2) Daily supplements of 20, 50 or 85 grams of the concentrate mixture per sheep did not improve the digestion of the cellulose of the basal ration. Unlike the lowest one, the two higher supplements had, however, the effect of preventing deterioration of the digestive powers and appetites of the sheep. (3) The highest supplement of concentrate, 170 grams per animal per day, more than compensated for the energy deficiency of the basal ration but depressed the digestion of its cellulose. (4) Ability to digest cellulose, which had been temporarily weakened, as under (1) and (3) above, was restored by an additional supplement of green feed.