Comparison of in vitro actual digestibility of leguminous and wheat straws in sheep and goats

This research aims to determine the in vitro true digestibility (IVTDasfeed) values of wheat and legume straw, widely used in sheep and goat feeding, and the effective use of animal species. The feed material consisted of barley, wheat, oat, triticale, broad bean, chickpea, and lentil straws. In the research, healthy and one-year-old sheep and goats were purchased on a private farm, and their feeding was followed for three weeks with the animals on the same farm. Barley was offered to the animals for consumption as ad libitum in automatic feeders and a sufficient amount of straw continuously. Alfalfa hay was given daily at noon, approximately 250 g per animal. The animals were slaughtered in Samsun Florya Slaughterhouse, and their rumen fluids were brought to the laboratory under appropriate conditions. The feeds were incubated in a Daisy incubator for 48 hours to determine the in vitro true digestibility values. Rumen fluids of sheep (1st group) and goats (2nd group) were placed in separate jars and analyzed as four replicates for each feedstuff. IVTDasfeed values of cereal straw (triticale, wheat, barley and oat straw) were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared to goat rumen fluid (group 2) and sheep rumen fluid (group 1) (P<0.05). IVTDasfeed values of oat straw were higher than other cereal straws (P<0.05). The use of sheep and goat rumen fluid did not make a statistical difference in terms of IVTDasfeed values of chickpea, broad bean and lentil straw. Among the legume straws, the highest digestibility was determined in the broad bean straw (P<0.05). As a result, the use of goat rumen fluid was more effective than the use of sheep rumen fluid on IVTDasfeed of low quality cereal straws. In addition, oat straw was better digested than other cereal straws using goat rumen fluid. The main reasons why the use of goat rumen fluid is more effective on the IVTDasfeed value of low quality triticale, wheat, barley and oat straw may be due to the nutrient use and metabolism of the microbiota in the rumen, which is formed due to the feed preferences of the animals, although the animals are offered the same ration. While higher IVTDasfeed was detected in bean straw compared to other legume straws, it did not show the same effect when using different rumen fluids.