Abstract
Wheat straw was treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) by either spraying (spray AHP,E) 250 ml of AHP solution containing 20 g H 2O 2 and 8.3 g NaOH kg −1 straw dry matter (DM) or by soaking (dip AHP, F) straw in 2% AHP solution to give a final concentration of 57 g H 2O 2 and 19 g NaOH kg −1 DM. The AHP-treated straws were compared with A, B, C and D straws treated respectively with 0, 8.3, 25 and 50 g kg −1 DM of NaOH alone in a feeding trial using 36 Dorset Down × Mule store lambs. A digestibility trial using 7 wethers, selected from the feeding trial, in a 7 × 4 incomplete Latin square was also conducted to examine the effects of these treatments on the extent of nutrient digestion and rates of passage (k 1 and k 2). Neutral-(NDF), Modified acid-(MADF), Acid-detergent fibre (ADF) and Acid-detergent lignin (ADL) in the straw organic matter (OM) changed quadratically with increasing NaOH alone from 0 to 50 g kg −1 DM. AHP had different effects on composition depending upon the mode of application. Spray treatment (E v B) did not alter composition but the dip treatment F had less NDF and more MADF, ADF and especially ADL than treatment C. Voluntary straw intake (VSI), liveweight gain (LWG), LWG/W 0.75 and digestibility increased linearly ( P < 0.001) with the increase in NaOH alone from 0 to 50 g kg −1. Spray AHP did not affect VSI, LWG or digestibility compared with either untreated straw or straw treated with the same amount of NaOH alone. Dip AHP tended to increase ( P > 0.05) VSI, LWG and LWG/W 0.75 but decreased DM, MADF ( P < 0.05), OM ( P < 0.01) and NDF ( P > 0.05) digestibility compared with untreated control and reduced VSI, LWG and LWG/W 0.75 ( P < 0.05) and all digestibility parameters ( P < 0.001) compared with treatment with NaOH alone (C). Spray AHP treatment increased ( P < 0.05) rate of passage (k 1 measured with Yb) compared with NaOH-treated control. Dip AHP treatment showed a similar trend ( P > 0.05). AHP did not result in any gross ill effects on animal health.
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