A note on the in sacco dry matter degradability of variously processed maize grains and of different maize varieties in sheep

Abstract

Two series of in sacco experiments each with three or four rumen fistulated male sheep were carried out. In Experiment 1 whole, halved, broken and ground maize grains were incubated in nylon bags in the rumen of sheep fed with rations high in roughage or concentrate for 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216 and 240 h. In Experiment 2 ground maize grain of 12 different varieties was incubated in the rumen for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. Furthermore, the rumen dry matter degradability (DMD) of whole grain of four varieties was determined. Rumen incubation time and treatments of maize grain influenced significantly the DMD, but no differences were found between diets (48h: 8.8, 44.4, 76.3 and 90.0%; 120 h: 36.9, 83.4, 96.0 and 99.0% for whole, halved, broken and ground grain). The DMD of different maize varieties varied between 35.2 and 56.9% after 6 h rumen incubation time or between 63.0 and 86.1% after 24 h rumen incubation time, if maize was ground. Similar tendencies were measured for whole grain (between 24.6 and 69.6% DMD after 120 h incubation time).