The evaluation of energy metabolizability of adult crossbred Suffolk fed with forage-based diets

Abstract

The energy metabolizability for maintenance (qm) by sheep was evaluated by in vivo digestion study using Suffolk crossbred adult sheep.  The animals were offered three experimental diets, TH1 (chopped timothy hay and rolled corn＝73 : 24), TH2 (timothy hay) and RS (chopped rice straw and commercial concentrate＝60 : 40) at a level of maintenance with assuming the qm as 0.40.  The energy metabolizability was calculated by dividing metabolizable intake by gross energy intake.  Metabolizable energy intake was estimated by using total digestible nutrients intake.  The energy metabolizability for the experimental treatments were estimated with ranging 0.47-0.49 and were not differed significantly.  The results obtained in this study suggested that the value of energy metabolizability should be applied for 0.4 and 0.5 when mature sheep was allowed a low-quality forage diet and medium-high quality forage diets, respectively.