Wood molasses as a preservative for high moisture barley: 2. Ration digestibility and rumen fermentation in sheep

The effect of wood molasses ensiled barley on ration digestibility and nitrogen utilization (Exp. 1 and Exp. 2) and on rumen fermentation and degradation rate in sacco (Exp.2) was investigated in two experiments. The ration contained 0.9 kg of DM. The proportion of hay was 30 % in Exp. 1 and 40 % in Exp. 2. In Exp. I the experimental diets were dried barley (DB) and barley ensiled with a level of 8 (WMB8) or 16 % (WMB16) wood molasses of barley DM. In Exp. 2 the diets were dried barley (DB), propionic acid-treated barley (PAB) and barleys ensiled with 0.3 % v/w % of AIV II solution (AIVB) or with wood molasses at a level of 12 % of barley DM (WMB12). The ration digestibility decreased with increasing levels of wood molasses. The difference in DM and organic matter(OM) digestibility was significant (P 0.05). The proportion of isovaleric and valeric acids was highest on AIVB diet. On DB and PAB diets the ammonia concentration in the rumen decreased after feeding, but on AIVB and WMB12 diets the highest value was reached 1.5 hours after feeding. The degradation rate of DM and CP as determined by nylon bag method was faster on AIVB and WMB12 than on DB and PAB diets