WET BREWERS’ GRAIN AS REPLACEMENT FOR HAY IN MAINTENANCE SHEEP DIET

Abstract

Wet brewers’ grain (RUC) is an available by-product throughout the year and its fiber fractions could replace forage fibers during critical periods. The aim of this study was to evaluate wet brewers’ grain as a substitute for hay in exclusive forage diets for sheep. Six Santa Inês male sheep were kept in metabolic cages in a 3x3 multiple Latin square, in which the experimental diets were 100% Tifton 85 Bermudagrass (Cynodon ssp) hay (FT), 67% FT + 33% wet brewer’s grain (RUC33) and 33% FT + 67% wet brewers’ grain (RUC67). The study evaluated voluntary intake, in vivo apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), rumen pH and ammonia-N profiles. Voluntary intake was 1090, 1129 and 737 (SE = 66.9) g DM day-1 for diets FT, RUC33 and RUC67, respectively. Dry matter apparent digestibility was not affected by treatments, but the brewers’ grain inclusion increased crude protein digestibility. Rumen ammonia-N content profiles were similar for all treatments and pH differed among treatments (6.26, 5.98 and 6.28 (SE = 0.05) for FT, RUC33 and RUC67, respectively). By-product inclusion reduced DM intake at level of 67%. KEY WORDS: By-products, feed evaluation, ruminant supplementation