Digestibility, methane production and nitrogen balance in sheep fed ensiled or fresh mixtures of sorghum-soybean forage

The feeding value of a mixture of sorghum and soybeans plants, either fresh or ensiled, was evaluated with sheep. Sorghum and soybeans were harvested during the Cuban rainy season and ensiled in a ratio of 0.6/0.4 (w/w, as feed) with molasses and a bacterial inoculant. Silos were opened between 162 and 182 d post ensiling during the Cuban dry season and silages were fed to six pelibuey sheep (including two fistulated). Six other sheep (also including two fistulated) were fed sorghum and soybean in the same proportion, but freshly harvested during the dry season. The experiment lasted 21 d (14 d adaptation and 7 d data collection period). Silage quality parameters included pH, ammonia, lactate, and short chain fatty acids (SCFA). Further, both fresh and ensiled diets were offered to study the rumen fermentation characteristics (pH, ammonia, lactate, SCFA, in situ degradability and methane), duodenal flow of microbial protein (assessed through urinary purine derivatives secretion), fecal degradability of nutrients and urinary N excretion. From these measurements ME value and degradable CP supply at the small intestine (DCPSI) were estimated. Silage was of excellent quality. Compared to fresh forage feeding silage increased molar propionate proportion and rumen microbial protein synthesis and reduced methane emission. Fresh forage showed lower rumen degradability and total digestibility. Further, the higher ME concentration (11.2 vs. 10.3 MJ/kg DM) and DCPSI (84.7 vs. 56.1 g/kg DM) of the silage would allow a higher milk production or daily gain as compared with fresh forage available during the Cuban dry season.