Chemical composition, voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of cassava upper part hays

Abstract

An experiment with two-year old sheeps weighing 42 kg was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition, apparent digestibility and voluntary intake of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), upper part hays, applying the conventional method of total feces collection in a complete randomized design with six replicates. The hays were compound by upper green third of cassava, variety 'Caravela', obtained from a 10 to 12-month old planting. There were two haymaking process: (A) dehydration through sunshine; and (B) dehidration through industrial furnace using firewood as heat source. The chemical analyses results of the hays and their related digestibility coefficients were: crude protein, 22.21 (57.09) and 23.12 (36.81); crude fiber, 24.89 (30.92) and 27.35 (33.70); ether extract, 7.36 (38.41) and 6.83 (43.87); nitrogen-free extract, 36.22 (48.52) and 32.88 (51.94); and, dry matter, 88.34 (42.60) and 87.96 (41.03), giving TDN values of 43.12 and 41.64 for A and B, respectively, on dry matter basis. There was significant difference between the digestibility coefficients of crude protein (P<0.01), the digestible protein (P<0.01) and the digestible fiber (P<0.05). The voluntary intakes of dry matter, crude protein and total digestible nutrients (g/kg W^0.75) for A and 8 were: 69.95 and 78.33; 15.82 and 18.41; and 30.14 and 3174, respectively.