Abstracto
- During the dry season of 1994 (February to May) an experiment was carried out to determine the potential of sorghum crop residues for cattle feeding. Fourty-eight yearling heifers of the native breed "Romosinuano" were used. The heifers were housed two per pen. The experimental rations consisted of ad libitum ensiled sorghum stubble plus a supplement of cotton seed meal (CSM), rice polishings (RP), urea and minerals. The levels of CSM and RP were 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 kg/d/head and 0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 kg/d/head, respectively, in a factorial array of 4 levels of RP with 3 levels of CSM. All animals received 100 g urea and 60 g of mineral mixture, daily.The feeds were offered at 8:00 h. during a period of 56 days. Intake of sorghum stubble silage and rate of liveweight gain were increased linearly by supplementation with rice polishings and cottonseed meal, the effects being additive for the two supplements. The results confirmed that supplementation of fibrous crop residues to balance the rumen fermentation (urea and minerals) and to supply bypass protein (rice polishings and cottonseed meal) improves overall efficiency of feed utilization as reflected in a stimulation of intake of the basal forage component of the diet and improved animal performance.
