The utilization of rice straw supplemented with soybean hulls

Abstract

One stall-feeding experiment was conducted to study the nutritive value of soybean hull (SH), and the effect of supplementing rice straw (RS) with different levels of SH on the digestibility and intake. Four diets were studied: (A) RS alone, (B) 75% RS and 25% SH, (C) 50% RS and 50% SH, and (D) SH alone. Soybean hulls had greater (P < 0,01) organic matter, cell wall, cellulose and crude protein digestibilities, and digestible organic matter intake, than RS. However, as far as organic matter intake is concerned they were the same (P > 0,30). The low voluntary intake by the animals fed SH by itself was due to the high incidence of bloat observed on animals consuming this diet. There were positive linear (P < 0,01) relationships between organic matter, cell wall and cellulose digestibilities and soybean hull levels in the diets. Crude protein contents in the diets were correlated (r=0,76; P < 0,01) with crude protein digestibility. When RS was supplemented with SH, the digestible organic matter intake increased progressively up to 50% and decreased thereafter.