Influence of nitrogen source on the voluntary intake and digestibility of barley straw by ewe lambs

Abstract

Thirty-five one-year old ewe lambs were used. The lambs were divided into two groups. The 
first group contained twenty-one lambs housed in digestibility cages while the second group 
fourteen lambs housed in individual pens. 
The ewe lambs were given a basal diet of barley straw, supplemented with three levels of 
cottonseed cake or urea. An orthogonal analysis was used for the data. The results showed that 
the range of intakes of barley straw were 56.5 and 60.6 g/kg W 0.75 for cottonseed cake and 46.2, 
and 48.1 g/kg W 0″ for urea supplemented diets while for the control (A) it was 48.1 g/kg W 0.75. 
The mean intake of barley straw supplemented with cottonseed cake was high, but 
supplementation had a little effect on the digestibility, while urea supplement had no effect on 
the digestibility and straw intake.