Effect of physical processing on the nutritive value of sugarcane bagasse in goats and sheep

Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse, subjected to physical processing: (1) grinding and (2) pelleting, was fed ad lib. along with 200 g concentrate mixture/head per day to 12 adult Nellore brown rams and 12 adult male goats in a digestion trial using randomized block design. Sheep had higher (P<0.05) DM intake compared to goats. Pelleting increased the digestibility of CP (P<0.05) and GE (P<0.01). However, digestibilities of cell wall constituents were higher in ground ration. Sheep had higher (P<0.01) digestibilities of all proximate principles, GE and neutral detergent solubles. Pelleting had no effect on nutritive value. Goats recorded higher DP (P<0.05) and TDN (P<0.01) compared to sheep on the combined ration and on bagasse alone obtained by the difference method. Experimental sheep could not meet their TDN requirements on the ground ration. The DP and TDN values were 1.1, 50.8 and 1.6, 49.2 for the ground and pelleted rations, respectively. DP and TDN values for goats and sheep were 1.7, 57.6 and 1.0 and 42.4, respectively. Certain physical characteristics like bulk density, particle size, modulus of uniformity and modulus of fineness of sugarcane bagasse were also assessed. Due to grinding of the unground bagasse there was an 80% increase in bulk density and 34% increase in modulus of fineness. These results indicate that ground sugarcane bagasse could be utilized as a roughage source for goats and sheep. Goats were superior to sheep in utilizing the nutrients from bagasse.