EFFECTS OF TREATING CORN STOVER WITH WOOD ASHES AND SODIUM-HYDROXIDE ON NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY BY SHEEP AND GOATS

In expt I, twelve lambs (average BW 30 kg) were fed diets containing 85% corn stover (CS) treated with 0, 10, 20 and 30% solutions (w/v) of wood ash (WA). Digestibility of DM was increased (P < 0.01) from 56.3% to 62.0%, CP, ADF and NDF digestibilities increased (P < 0.05) from 57.3, 53.0, 60.5% to 66.2, 61.3 68.6% for 0 to 30% WA, respectively. In expt II, nine wether lambs (average BW 29.2 kg) were fed diets containing untreated CS or stover treated with a 20% solution (w/v) of WA or a solution of NaOH (4 g/100 g CS). There were no differences (P > 0.05) in ADF and NDF digestibilities between sheep fed diets containing CS treated with WA (56.6, 65.7%) or NaOH (55.7, 63.5%), but both were greater (P < 0.05) than ADF and NDF digestion in control lambs (43.4, 50.5%). In expt III, nine male castrated goats (average BW 32.6 kg) were fed the same diets as sheep in experiment II. Goats responded to treatments in a similar manner to sheep. Results suggest that treating CS with a 20% solution of WA can increase fiber digestibility in sheep and goats to a degree comparable to that observed with NaOH treatment.