Utilization of starea (product of starch + urea extrusion) with different urea proportions: 1. Consumption and apparent digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber

An experiment was conducted to evaluate starea at different starch:urea proportions in their compositions with the purpose of verifing their influences on the consumption and digestibility of DM, OM, NDF and ADF in sheep fed singly on coastcross hay. Sixteen ewes were utilized in an in vivo digestibility trial, distributed randomly into four treatments made up of starea with 100, 150, 180 and 200% of protein equivalent which became protein supplements fed in an isonitrogen form. The consumption and digestibilities of the nutrients in issue were not affected (P.0,05) by the different starea and the values observed were within normal patterns for both the species and feed (hay) utilized in the study. The results suggest that the different starea studied posses the same efficiency as to providing gradual release of ammonia in the rumen.

Coastcross hay; nitrogen sources; non-protein nitrogen; protein supplementation