PALATABILITY AND DRY MATTER INTAKE BY SHEEP FED CORN STOVER TREATED WITH DIFFERENT NITROGEN SOURCES

A trial was conducted to measure the dry matter intake by sheep fed basal and basal + corn stover treated with different nitrogen sources. The diets were: 1) basal, 2) basal + untreated corn stover, 3) basal + 3% NH3-treated stover, 4) basal + 50% poultry litter treated stover, 5) basal + 5.8% urea-treated stover, and 6) basal + 5.8% urea + 10% cattle waste-treated stover. Thirty-six crossbred (1/2 Dorset x % Finn x % Rambouillet) wethers were assigned according to the initial body weight into six equal blocks and the sheep within blocks were randomly allotted to the experimental diets. The animals were kept in individual pens with free access to feed and water. Dry matter intake was higher (P<0.01) for sheep fed the basal diet compared to other diets. Intake was higher (P<0.05) for sheep fed NH3- and urea treated corn stover diets, compared to untreated stover. Similarly, the intake was higher (P<0.01) for sheep fed 3% NH3 treated corn stover than urea treated stovers. In conclusion, ammonia treatment of corn stover was more effective in enhancing the dry matter intake by sheep than those fed urea or poultry litter-treated diets. Addition of cattle waste in urea treated stover tended to improve the palatability of corn stover over urea treatment alone, but the difference was non significant. Similarly, the treatment of corn stover with poultry litter did not improve dry matter intake or palatability compared to untreated control