Abstract

Samples of common vetch (CV), bitter vetch (BV) and chickling vetch (CLV) were collected and determined for chemical composition, rumen degradability and the effect of particle losses and intestinal digestibility of crude protein by using in situ-in vitro and in vitro techniques. In addition, the apparent digestibility of experimental diets was stated in Iranian hybrids sheep. The results showed the high protein concentration for CV (278 g/kg dry matter) and low concentration for BV (255 g/kg dry matter). The rapidly degradable and effective degradability of protein for legumes ranged from 0.40 to 0.51 and 0.72 to 0.76, respectively, and following correction for particle losses, the values for the rapidly degradable protein fraction were lower (from 0.16 to 0.17) than those found without correction. Different intestinal digestibility values were obtained with both procedure significant relationship between them (Y = 2.170X - 129.5, R² = 0.469, P = 0.0139, SEM = 5.545). There were no differences in the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and energy among diets. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility was lowest (P < 0.05) when soybean meal (SBM) was replaced with BV and CV seeds, respectively. The presence of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) and structural substances of cell wall also may affect the NDF and ADF digestibility of these feeds. Based on the results of the current study, it might be concluded that legume grains cannot be considered in high production ruminant diet due to more rumen undegradable protein requirement.

Key words: Degradability, intestinal digestion, Lathyrus sativus, Vicia ervilia, Vicia sativa.

Abbreviation

 IDRUP, Intestinal digestibility of the rumen undegradable protein; AA,amino acid; CV, common vetch; BV, bitter vetch; CLV, chickling vetch; EE, ether extract; DM, dry matter; CP, crude protein; GE, gross energy; TMR, total mixed ration; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fibre; ANFs, anti nutritional factors; ODAP, beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha-beta-diaminopropionic acid; SBM, soybean meal.