NUTRITIVE VALUE OF COFFEE (Coffea arabica L.) HULLS TREATED WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE AND/OR UREA SUPPLEMENTED WITH ALFALFA (Medicago sativa L.) HAY

Abstract

The aim of this work was to assess the nutritive value of coffee hulls treated with sodium hydroxide and urea. Twenty sheeps were utilized in a randomized block design, with four blocks and five treatments combining 50% alfalfa hay and 50% treated or untreated coffee hulls, as follows: T1-alfalfa hay and pure coffee hulls; T2-hay and coffee hulls + 5% urea; T3-hay + coffee hulls + 1.5% NaOH; T4-hay + coffee hulls + 1.5% NaOH + 5% urea; T5-100% hay. The treatment coffee hulls with urea resulted only in increased crude protein content. The treatment with NaOH did not resulted in any changes in the chemical composition. Hulls, whether treated or not, caused intake reduction. There were differences among treatments as the digestible protein intake, digestible energy intake, and apparent digestibility of crude protein. Given the bromatological composition and digestibility of pure coffee hulls, we can conclude that it is a byproduct can be utilized by ruminants. For low consumption of coffee hulls, it should only be used together with another fodder with higher nutritional value, particularly with a higher energy content.

KEY-WORDS: Agricultural byproducts; digestibility; intake; ruminants.