Table 3.
Nutrient composition (dry matter basis) and macronutrient intake of each treatment pellet.
| Nutrient | Protein supplement pellet | Alfalfa pellet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composition | Nutrient intake/kg BW | Composition | Nutrient intake/kg BW | |
| DE (Mcal/kg)* | 3.2 | 2.08 kcal | 1.8 | 2.55 kcal |
| % DM | g | % DM | g | |
| DM | 87.8 | 0.66 | 89.7 | 1.46 |
| Crude protein | 38 | 0.25 | 17.2 | 0.25 |
| Acid detergent fiber | 13.9 | 0.09 | 33.7 | 0.49 |
| Neutral detergent fiber | 21.3 | 0.14 | 43.0 | 0.63 |
| Water-soluble carbohydrates | 9.5 | 0.06 | 5.6 | 0.08 |
| Ethanol-soluble carbohydrates | 8.4 | 0.06 | 4.4 | 0.06 |
| Starch | 7.6 | 0.05 | 3.0 | 0.04 |
| Essential amino acids | mg | mg | ||
| Lysine | 2.31 | 15.20 | 0.65 | 9.4 |
| Leucine | 3.03 | 19.96 | 1.01 | 14.7 |
| Isoleucine | 1.85 | 12.17 | 0.62 | 9.1 |
| Valine | 2.03 | 13.38 | 0.77 | 11.2 |
| Threonine | 1.59 | 10.44 | 0.57 | 8.3 |
| Histidine | 0.90 | 5.90 | 0.29 | 4.2 |
| Phenylalanine | 1.97 | 12.93 | 0.66 | 9.6 |
| Methionine | 0.59 | 3.86 | 0.21 | 3.1 |
| Arginine | 2.36 | 15.50 | 0.58 | 8.4 |
| Tryptophan | 0.49 | 3.25 | 0.16 | 2.3 |
*
DE calculated value (Pagan, 1998); Main protein sources for the protein supplement pellet: soybean meal, alfalfa meal, potato protein and wheat bran. Main protein source for the alfalfa pellet: alfalfa meal.