A Comparison of the Digestibility of Two Complete Rations Containing Either Raw or Alkali-Treated Sugarcane Bagasse

Abstract

Two successive digestibility trials were conducted employing four Holstein steers and 8-day total fecal collection periods. Both rations studied had the same basic formula, differing only in that one contained raw bagasse, and the other, bagasse treated in a 2-percent NaOH solution. Feed intakes were restricted to 97 g. (about 83 g. of DM) per kg. of metabolic body weight. The mean apparent digestion coefficients determined in the treated-bagasse and raw-bagasse rations, respectively, were as follows: DM, 68.6 and 55.7; OM, 76.1 and 62.0; CP, 79.6 and 71.0; EE, 86.4 and 83.0; CF, 67.9 and 37.5; NFE, 77.6 and 64.6; TDN, 67.4 and 55.8; and calories, 74.0 and 58.9. The former ration contained 2.78 and the latter 2.27 Meal, of DE per kg. of DM. Excluding EE, all of these mean differences between rations were statistically significant; those for OM, CF, TDN and calories at P < .01, and those for DM, CP, NFE and DE at P < .05. Single samples of alkali-treated and raw bagasse were found to contain the following percentages: neutral-detergent fiber, 93.2 and 84.2; acid-detergent fiber, 75.6 and 58.0; lignin, 12.0 and 11.3; silica, 0.6 and 5.4; and in vitro DM digestibility, 51.1 and 31.9. The latter criterion was found to be 66.1 and 52.0 in single samples of the complete rations containing treated and raw bagasse, respectively.