This work was carried out to evaluate the digestibility, using Cr2O3 and indigestible neutral detergent fiber (INDF), as markers, and also the degradability using ground ear corn (GEC). Six treatments were used in a factorial design, with three milling degrees (3/8", 9/16" and 3/4") of ground ear corn and peanut meal or corn gluten feed as protein sources. The milling degrees of ground ear corn did not have effect on pH, N-NH3 , digestibility (dry matter - DM, crude protein - CP, extract ether extract - EE, starch, neutral detergent fiber - NDF, acid detergent fiber - ADF) and ruminal degradability for DM and starch. Digestibility coefficients differed between two markers and were higher for Cr2O3. There was significant interaction for pH and N-NH3 between protein sources and milling degree, but only on 9/16", with lowest pH value for peanut meal and lowest N-NH3 concentration for corn gluten feed. There was no effect of milling degree on rumen degradability of dry matter, but there was protein sources effect, and the degradability was higher on corn gluten feed treatments. The starch degradability of GEC plus protein source did not differ between protein sources, but differed when only GEC on nylon bags was used, the starch degradability was higher in corn gluten feed treatments.
chromic oxide; corn gluten feed; indigestible NDF; peanut meal; starch
