Publication Date
1993
Description
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) and corn are the most popular summer forages in south-west Japan. In this experiment, the digestibilities of sorghum silage were determined by adult sheep and by heifers. The digestibilities of all proximate components by heifers were higher than by sheep, Non-structural carbohydrates were almost completely digested by sheep, in contrast to heifers which excreted a portion of the grain undigested. Neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin digestibilities for heifers were higher than those for sheep. Heifers digested each hemicellulose monosaccharide better than sheep, Sheep and heifers differed by the largest extent in xylose digestibility. Xylose was the most indigestible monosaccharide for sheep but galactose was for the heifers.
Citation
Kawamura, Osamu; Tanaka, Shigeyuki; Miaki, Takashi; and Shinkai, Kazuo, "Comparison of Digestibility of Sorghum Silage by Sheep and by Heifers with Special Reference to the Hemicellulose Monosaccharides" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 20.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session14/20
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Comparison of Digestibility of Sorghum Silage by Sheep and by Heifers with Special Reference to the Hemicellulose Monosaccharides
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) and corn are the most popular summer forages in south-west Japan. In this experiment, the digestibilities of sorghum silage were determined by adult sheep and by heifers. The digestibilities of all proximate components by heifers were higher than by sheep, Non-structural carbohydrates were almost completely digested by sheep, in contrast to heifers which excreted a portion of the grain undigested. Neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin digestibilities for heifers were higher than those for sheep. Heifers digested each hemicellulose monosaccharide better than sheep, Sheep and heifers differed by the largest extent in xylose digestibility. Xylose was the most indigestible monosaccharide for sheep but galactose was for the heifers.
