This research was undertaken with the aim of determining the effect of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment on the chemical composition, in vitro gas production, neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) and true dry matter digestibility (TDMD), dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed value (RFV) of common reed (Phragmites australis) straw. Reed straw was treated with 0% (control), 1%, 2%, and 3% NaOH and stored in 1.5-L glass jars in triplicate for 21 days. NaOH treatment had a significant effect on the chemical composition, in vitro gas production, NDFD and TDMD, DMI, and RFV of the reed straw. While it decreased the cell wall content of the reed straw, it significantly increased the NDFD, TDMD, DMI, and RFV. The neutral detergent fiber content of the reed straw decreased with NaOH treatment in a dose-dependent manner and ranged from 56.03% to 65.05%, whereas the NDFD increased and ranged from 53.10% to 59.99%. Metabolizable energy, organic matter digestibility, and TDMD values were improved, ranging from 9.15 to 10.19 MJ/kg DM, 58.46% to 65.05%, and 55.29% to 62.33%, respectively. The estimated RFV and DMI also improved, ranging from 84.70% to 95.58% and from 1.87% to 2.14% of body weight, respectively. The most effective treatment dose of NaOH was 3%. Therefore, it can be suggested that NaOH treatment has the potential to improve the nutritive value of reed straw. However, before large applications, further in vivo investigations are required to determine the effects of NaOH treatment on the feed intake and production of ruminant animals.

Bu araştırma, yem bezelyesi (Pisum Sativum L.) silajına suda çözünür karbonhidrat (ŞÇK) kaynağı olarak melas ilavesinin silo fermantasyonu, mikrobiyolojisi, in vitro gaz üretimi ve nispi yem değerleri (NYD) üzerine etkilerini saptamak için düzenlenmiştir. Bu amaçla yem bezelyesi bakla doldurma döneminde hasat edilmiştir. Hasat sonrası yaklaşık 1.5-2.0 cm boyutunda parçalanan taze materyale 0 (kontrol), 15, 30, 45 ve 60 g/kg taze materyal (TM) düzeyinde melas katılmıştır. Melas ilavesi yem bezelyesi silajlarının ham besin maddeleri bileşimini önemli derecede etkilemiştir (P<0.01). Melas dozuna bağlı olarak silajların ham protein (HP), ham yağ (HY), nötr deterjan lif (NDF), asit deterjan lif (ADF) ve asit deterjan lignin (ADL) içeriği azalmış, kuru madde (KM), ham kül (HK) ve suda çözünebilir karbonhidrat (SÇK) içeriği artmıştır (P<0.01). Melas ilavesi yem bezelyesi silajlarının pH’sını, asetik asit, bütirik asit ve amonyak azotu (NH3-N) içeriklerini düşürürken, laktik asit ve propiyonik asit içeriklerini artırmıştır (P<0.01). Aynı şekilde melas ilavesi yem bezelyesi silajlarının in vitro gaz üretimi, organik madde sindirim derecesini (OMSD) ve metabolik enerji (ME) içeriklerini de artırmıştır (P<0.01). Melas ilavesi ayrıca yem bezelyesi silajlarının nispi yem değeri (NYD) ve kuru madde tüketimi (KMT)’ni olumlu yönde etkilemiştir (P<0.01). Araştırma sonucunda, melasın SÇK düzeyi düşük olan yem bezelyesi silajlarında kullanılması, silajların yem değerini ve fermantasyon özelliklerini iyileştirmiştir.

The study aimed to evaluate the potential use of dried or ensiled paulownia (Paulownia spp.) leaves as roughage source for ruminants. Paulownia tree leaves were collected from one-year-old hybrid (C-125, CAR, and TF-33 clones) trees. Dried paulownia leaves of the clones were different in dry matter (DM), crude ash (CA), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NfE) and similar in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL); [...] ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the potential use of dried or ensiled paulownia (Paulownia spp.) leaves as roughage source for ruminants. Paulownia tree leaves were collected from one-year-old hybrid (C-125, CAR, and TF-33 clones) trees. Dried paulownia leaves of the clones were different in dry matter (DM), crude ash (CA), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NfE) and similar in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL);

The aim of current experiment was to determine the effect of supplementation of urea on the nutritive value and fermentation characteristics of apple pulp silage. Apple pulp obtained from apple with Granny Smith (Malus domestica) varieties was used in the research. Apple pulp were ensiled in special glass jars with 1.5 L capacity. Urea (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 % on DM basis) was added homogeneously to apple pulp in triplicate. The experimental silos were placed in a room until opening after 45 day of preservation. The glass jars were opened on the 45th day of ensiling to determine chemical composition and silage fermentation parameters. The addition of urea to apple pulp reduced the water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) whereas the supplementation of urea significantly(P<0.01) increased crude protein(HP) contents of resultant silages. The addition of urea to apple pulp significantly (P<0.01) increased pH, lactic acid (LA), propionic acid (PA), butyric acid (BA) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) contents of the resultant silages whereas the supplementation of urea significantly (P<0.01) reduced the acetic acid (AA) contents. Addition of urea to apple pulp increased in vitro gas production, digestible organic matter (DOM), metabolic energy (ME) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and significantly reduced yeast and mold count (P<0.01). The urea supplementation also increased the aerobic stability of the resultant silages. It can be concluded that supplementation of urea to apple pulp at 1.0 and 2.0 % can be recommended to improve the nutritive value and fermentation parameters of the resultant silages.

The experiment was carried out using a 4 × 4 factorial design. There were 16 experimental groups. Each group consisted of 3 lambs. The experiment lasted 56 days. During the experiment, the oregano oil (0 and 5 g/kg DM) and urea (0, 6, 12, and 18 g/head per day) were given to lambs consuming low energy/low protein diets (2350 Kcal/kg DM/ 10.80% CP/DM, respectively) and normal energy/normal protein (2600 Kcal/kg DM, 14.97% CP/DM, respectively) diets. Daily body weight gain of lambs consuming normal energy/normal protein diets and supplemented with 6, 12 and 18 g/head per day urea were significantly (P < 0.01) higher compared to those consumed low energy/low protein diets and supplemented with oregano oil. The voluntary feed intake of lambs consuming the normal energy/normal protein diets supplemented with urea (6, 12 and 18 g/head per day) was lower compared to lambs consuming low energy/low protein diets supplemented with oregano oil and urea. On the other hand, the feed efficiency of lambs consuming the normal energy/normal protein diets supplemented with urea (6, 12 and 18 g/head per day) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher compared to lambs consuming the low energy/low protein diets supplemented with oregano oil and urea. The supplementation of urea to lambs consuming the low energy/low protein diets and the normal energy/normal protein diets increased the weight of cold carcass. The supplementation of urea had no significant (P > 0.01) effect on the other carcass characteristics.

The current study assessed the effects of covering corn silage with tomato or apple pomace on fermentability and feed quality. The in vitro gas production test was performed using graded 100 mL syringes. Incubation times were 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. In vitro gas generation characteristics were significantly altered by TP (tomato pomace) and AP (apple pomace), both alone and in conjunction with PE (polyethylene) films, regardless of their presence. As a result of the effects found on NH₃-N concentration, aerobic stability, and yeast activity, TP and AP have the potential to become an eco-friendly alternative to PE films. The gas production from the immediately soluble fraction (a) of corn silage was only affected when the corn silage was covered with a combination of AP and PE compared to the CPE group (p < 0.001). The largest cluster includes correlations of the DOM-TDDM (r = 0.90), DOM-AA (r = 0.88), and Ash-TDDM (r = 0.86) correlations. The most substantial negative correlations were identified between DM-CO₂ (r = −82), DM-Yeast (r = −0.79), and CF-DOM (r = −0.79). Nonetheless, the use of pomace as a silage cover presents an inexpensive alternative to plastic films for silage that does not have the environmental problems associated with persistent micro- and nanoplastics.