Abstract
Abstract Three range plant species, the Arthrocnemum indicum , the Lymoniastrum guyonianum and the Lygeum spartum , were cut in small amounts and given with either alfalfa or oat hay to four housed one-humped camels ( Camelus dromedarius ). Three conventional digestion trials were then conducted to derive regression equations relating dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) to faecal chemical components. During the first trial, the camels were dosed daily with 4 g Cr 2 O 3 to determine its excretion pattern and recovery. It was found that DMD and OMD were correlated to the neutral detergent fibre (NDF), crude fibre, acid detergent lignin, acid insoluble lignin and acid detergent fibre N (ADF-N) but not to the ADF nor to the total N faecal contents. The best equations were: DMD = 1.887 NDF − 76.43; ( R = 0.93, RSD = 2.59, n = 12) OMD = 1.792 NDF − 70.15; ( R = 0.87, RSD = 3.59, n = 12) The chromic oxide concentration in the faeces varied between the camels and from day to day. Its recovery, measured 2 weeks after the first administration, was 82.5%.
Published Version
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