Effect of substitution barley grain with dried sugar beet pulp on ruminal pH and ammonia nitrogen concentration of Holstein steers

Introduction Grains are often substituted for forage in ruminant diets to increase feed intake, diet fermentability, and animal growth rate. However, greater dietary starch concentration can lead to digestive disorders, such as ruminal acidosis and reduce performance (Owens et al., 1998). Adding non-forage fibre source, such as sugar beet pulp (SBP), to low-forage diets might reduce the negative effects of increased starch fermentation without increasing the filling effect of the diet to the same extent as forage fibre. So, substituting SBP for barley grain in a diet with moderately low forage conten