Suplementaçao da palhada de milho na alimentaçao de bovinos. 1. Consumo, taxa de passagem da materia seca, degradaçao in situ da matéria seca e da fibra em detergente neutro

The experiment was conducted in a 4x4 Latin Square design with eight rumen fistulated Holteins-Zebu crossbred steers we ighing 290 kg, to evaluate the effect of the supplementation of corn stover with urea, aerial part cassava hay and cottonseed meal on the total dry matter (DM) intake, the digesta passage rate, and the DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability using the nylon bag technique, The treatments were: (A) corn stover plus urea (basal diet), (B) basal diet plus aerial part cassava hay, as a 20 percent basis of the dry matter fed (DMF), (C) basal diet plus cottonseed meal, as a 5 percent basis (DMF), and (D) basal diet plus aerial part cassava hay ( 20 percent DMF) plus cottonseed meal (5 percent basis DMF). There were no differences in dry matter of corn stover intake among treatments. The major total dry matter intake was observed for treatment D, with 2. 10 kg DM/100 kg LW/day, followed by treatment 13, C and A with 1.94, 1.85 and 1.70 kg DM/100 kg LW/day, respectively. The digesta passage rate and retention times were similar among the animals submitted to the different treatments. There were no differences inthecorn stover DM and NDF degradability and degradation rate among treatments. However, there was a tendency to improve the degradation rate as the corn stover (basal diet) was supplemented by the aerial part cassava meal and/or cottonseed meal. The DM and NDF colonization time in treatment A was 14 percent higherthan B and C colonization -time, and 3.7 percent higher than D treatment. The supplements used did not improve the nutritive value of corn straw. (RA)