Effect of Adding Fermented Juice of Epiphytic Lactic Acid Bacteria Prepared with Different Sources of Soluble Carbohydrates on Fermentation Characteristics of Wheat Straw Silage, Rumen Fermentation and Nutrients Digestibility by Awassi Lambs

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of using different sources of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in preparation of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) added at ensiling on fermentation characteristics of wheat straw silages (WSS), rumen fermentation and nutrients digestibility by Awassi lambs. The FJLBs were prepared from wild reed plant with glucose at 2% (w/v, FJLB-G), cane molasses at 5% (w/v, FJLB-M) or date molasses at 5% (w/v, FJLB-D). Wheat straw were ensiled for 45 days with addition of FJLBs at level of 1%, for control WSS, distilled water was added at similar quantity as FJLB (WWS-C). Urea and molasses were added to all WSS at level of 1 and 10% on dry matter (DM) basis. Twelve lambs were used in 4 treatments with 3 lambs per each. Lambs were fed concentrate diet at 3% of their BW with free allowances of WSS. Results revealed that ensiling WS with FJLBs improved silage fermentation as evidenced by lower (P<0.01) pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration together with higher (P<0.01) lactic acid (LA) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations. Higher (P<0.01) digestibilities of most nutrients including cell wall components were associated with lambs fed WSS-M and WSS-D as compared with those fed WSS-G and WSS-C. However, higher (P<0.01) organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP), digestibilities were recorded by lambs fed WSS-M. Moreover, ruminal NH3-N and VFA were positively influenced by feeding WSS prepared with FJLB in general, FJLB-M and FJLB-D in particular.