In the present study, the chemical composition and nutritional value of quinoa crop residues were determined using insitu and invitro gas production techniques in comparison with alfalfa hay. After harvesting, whole quinoa plants were dried at environmental temperature, the seeds were separated, and the crop residues were used for the experiment. The results showed that the content of gross energy, dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber and lignin of quinoa was higher than alfalfa hay (P<0. 05). Crude protein concentration of quinoa (12. 29%) was lower than alfalfa hay (14. 32%). The main part of the tannin in quinoa was hydrolysable. Although the degradation rate and post-ruminal digestibility of quinoa and alfalfa hay were similar, ruminal, and total tract digestibility of quinoa were lower than alfalfa hay (P<0. 05). No significant differences were found in gas production rate (c) between quinoa and alfalfa hay, however, it’ s gas production potential (b) was lower than alfalfa hay (P<0. 05). Organic matter digestibility, metabolizable energy and net energy of lactation in quinoa crop residues were also lower than alfalfa hay (P<0. 05). Based on the results of this study, quinoa crop residues have suitable nutritional potential for replacing part of the forage to meet part of the nutritional requirements of ruminant feeds. However, invivo studies are recommended to determine it’ s appropriate level in the diet.

This research was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of vicia faba residues processed with some chemical compounds using in vitro and nylon bag techniques. Treatments included unprocessed vicia faba residues (control) and processed with water (2. 5 lit/kg DM), calcium oxide (160 g/kg DM), hydrogen peroxide (57 ml/kg DM) and sodium hydroxide (50 g/kg DM). The chemical compositions of the samples were identified using the standard methods. Ruminal degradability trial was performed using the nylon bag technique. In vitro digestibility of samples was determined by the batch culture method. Processing was effective on the chemical composition of vicia faba residues. Except for water, the other treatments increased Ash and decreased organic matter (p=0. 0001). Calcium oxide had the highest effect on the mentioned traits. Crude protein amount was decreased in all treatments (p=0. 0001). The lowest amount was observed in calcium oxide and sodium hydroxide treatments. The amount of acid detergent fiber in calcium oxide and hydrogen peroxide treatments was higher than other treatments (p=0. 0017). Except for calcium oxide and water, the other treatments increased effective rumen degradability of vicia faba residues at rumen outflow rates of 2, 5 and 8 percent/hour (p<0. 0001). The hydrogen peroxide had the greatest effect on increase of effective rumen degradability. Sodium hydroxide treatment increased dry matter (p=0. 0001) and organic matter (p= 0. 0029) digestibility. Also, calcium oxide and hydrogen peroxide increased the efficiency of microbial yield (p=0. 0016). Totally, the results of this research showed that the sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide treatments had the greatest effect on improving the nutritional value of vicia faba residues.

Introduction: Feed shortage is the most important characteristic of Iranian animal industry. Increased costs of livestock production have caused the Iranian producers to reduce feed costs mainly by inclusion low quality crop residues into ruminants diets. It is estimated that around 20 million tons wheat straw produced in Iran every year. Both the digestibility and crude protein content of wheat straw are typically low. Since 1900, a wide variety of chemical treatments have been tested for their potential to improve the feeding value of wheat straw. Upgrading of wheat straw by ammoniation has been known for a long time, but application of this method of wheat straw treatment has received the least attention in the area (Khorasan Province, Iran). Therefore, the object of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gaseous and liquid ammonia on nutritive value of wheat straw through in vitro techniques.Material and Methods: One kg dry wheat straw was placed into the plastic cylinders with dimension of 1 m (diameter) and 1.8 m (height) and 0.8 mm (thickness). Gaseous and liquid commercial ammonia was injected or added to the wrapped straw at the rate of 2, 4 and 6 percent. The treatment time was 1 month at room temperature (20-25oC). At the end of treatment period the cylinders were opened and the ammoniated straw exposed to the air for 4 days. The treated straws were sampled for the subsequent analyses. Dry matter degradability of the samples was done by using nylon bags (10x20 cm) with pore size of 40 micron. About 2 g ground samples (2 mm) were placed into the nylon bags and incubated in rumen of 4 permanently fistulated steers for 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hrs. The experimental steers were fed by the ordinary diet containing 65% forage and 35% concentrate twice daily. The Menke and Steingass method was followed for the in vitro gas production method.Result and discussion: Crude protein (CP) content of the treated wheat straw samples increased and their neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents reduced significantly (P<0.05) with increasing the level of ammonia in both gaseous or liquid forms, although, the 6% level was more affective. There were no significant differences between the experimental treatments in organic matter, ether extract and ash contents. Crude protein content increased from 3.71% in untreated wheat straw to 13.41% in treated straw with 6% ammonia in liquid form. The chemical composition measurements revealed that ammonia treatment in liquid form was more effective in comparison with the gaseous form. The increase in CP content of the treated wheat straw was in agreement with data reported by other workers. The lower levels of NDF and ADF of the straw due to ammonia treatments appear to be due to solubiliziation of hemicellulose component. The nylon bag measurements showed that soluble fraction (a and b), rate of degradation of fraction b (r), potential degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) were all associated with the level of applied ammonia. Dry matter disappearance significantly (P<0.05) increased with increasing the level of ammonia mainly in gaseous form. For all the in situ parameters the most effective level of ammonia was 6%. Total produced gas after 24 hrs of incubation confirmed that the highest level of ammonia (6%) had the greatest effects on a, c, ME, NEL, OMD and SCFA parameters.Conclusion: The overall results showed that wheat straw treatment with 6% ammonia in either gaseous or liquid forms could improve its feeding value for ruminants significantly (P<0.05). Straw treatment with ammonia in liquid form was totally more effective than the other form (gaseous). It seems that ammonia fixation in treated wheat straw with liquid ammonia has been related to the moisture content rather than its forms. In farm and commercial scales handling and application of large amount and liquid ammonia and treating straw is inapplicable. It was concluded that straw treatment with gaseous ammonia in presence of moisture at a level of 20-30 percent and environmental temperature of 20-30oC result to the best improvement in case of nutritive value. This type of treatment can be easily applied in most areas of Iran during summer because the noted conditions are available.

83 Due to its resistance to drought and salinity, as well as its high nutritional content and superior protein quality, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is considered a suitable alternative feed resource for livestock, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition, digestibility, and nutritional value of quinoa seeds. Sampling was performed on 20 plant genotypes from a rangeland, and following identification, analyses including proximate composition, mineral content, fiber fractions, in vitro digestibility tests (Tilley and Terry, gas production), and degradability using nylon bag technique were carried out. The results indicated that the dry matter content was 92.87%, crude protein 16.66%, crude fiber 4.2%, ether extract 4.9%, neutral detergent fiber 5.0%, acid detergent fiber 1.2%, ash 4.6%, calcium 0.2775%, phosphorus 0.025%, magnesium 0.149%, and potassium 1.1385% in dry matter. The gross energy content was reported as 4419.06 kcal/kg. The in situ dry matter degradability of quinoa seed at  24, 48, 72, and 96 hours was 60.1%, 65.5%, 68.9%, and 72.6%, respectively, while crude protein degradability at the mentioned times was 45.5%, 76.96%, 91.3%, and 93.73%, respectively. These findings suggest that quinoa seeds, owing to their higher crude protein, fiber, fat, ash, and gross energy contents compared to wheat, possess considerable potential as a feed ingredient for ruminants.

This experiment was conducted to determine chemical composition and degradability of dry matter (DM) of whole Safflower seed using nylon bags in Ghezel rams. Values of DM, CP, OM, EE, CF, ADF and NDF of whole Safflower seed, were 96.25, 17.63, 94.12, 30.32, 26.13, 40.8 and 63.8 percent, respectively. Water soluble fraction (a), slowly degradability fraction (b), potential degradability (a+b) and rate constant (c), respectively were 8.3, 39.6, 47.83 percent and 0.216 for the DM. Effective degradability (r) 0.02 for DM was calculated. According to these results, whole Safflower seed can be used as a good source of dietary nutrition in ruminants.

A ruminal in situ experiment using three ruminally fistulated multiparous non-lactating dairy cows was conducted to determine dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) degradation of soybean meal and xylose-treated soybean meal. Samples were suspended in the rumen of cows for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h. Xylose-treated soybean meal had higher soluble digestible fraction (a) of DM than soybean meal (21% vs. 27%). Soluble digestible fraction (a) CP of xylose-treated soybean meal was considerably lower than that of soybean meal (3% vs. 20%). Xylose-treated soybean meal showed higher slowly digestible fraction (b) CP than soybean meal (84% vs. 78%). Effective degradability of CP at outflow rates of k=0.05 and k=0.08 h-1 was significantly lower for xylose-treated soybean meal than soybean meal (27 and 20% vs. 62 and 53%). Results from this study showed that xylose-treated soybean meal had lower available protein for rumen microorganisms compared with soybean meal.

Regarding to problems of digestible protein, metabolizable protein (MP) is offered. This system is based on microbial protein and undegraded protein in the rumen that is digestible in the small intestine. In order to determine of degradable protein in the rumen, ruminal undegradable protein and metabolizable protein of fish meal and cottonseed meal using crude protein degradability coefficients by in situ and ADIN data based on AFRC equation this experiment was designed. Three castrated sheep (49±2.6 kg) was used.the equation of P=a+b (1-e-ct) was used for estimating of CP degradabilities coefficients. The MP of fish meal and cottonseed meal was achieved 39.67 and 23.21 g/kgDM.

This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition, metabolizable energy, digestibility and ability of gas production of Poa trivialis. Samples was collected at three phenological stages including: vegetative growth, flowering and seedling on two different elevations of 1300 to 1500 m and 2000 to 1800 m asl in Neor and Hir region as the first and second sites, respectively. Testing of gas production was performed using Semi-automatic gas producers machine WT-Binder 87532 Model (made in Germany). Fistulated castrated male sheeps were used for preparation of required rumen fluid. Results show that more crude protein and less cell wall were in the vegetative growth stage. Gas production was higher in the first stage in comparison with other growing stages. The amounts of gas production of soluble and insoluble structures at the first and second sites were 75.63 and 81.50 mL, respectively. Metabolizabe energy of Poa triviali was 2.38 in the first site and in the second site 2.48 Mcal/kg DM in the vegetative growth stage. Collected samples from the second site had more metabolizabe energy, digestibility, degradability and gas production in comparison with the results of the first site.

The present study was conducted to determine some feedstuffs nutritive values through different methods and to make a comparison between the methods. Six canulated steers (Holstein and Sistani) were taken into experiment in a completely randomized design of two observations per each replication. The amount of gas production at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours and feed degradation through nylon bag method at 0 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 24 , 48 , 72 and 96 hours were measured. The feedstuffs used included: alfalfa hay, wheat straw, corn silage, concentrate and cotton seed, fed at the maintenance level. Dry matter degradabilityat 96 hours for alfalfa hay, wheat straw and corn silage were 71.52, 51.02 and 77.89, and at 48 hours for concentrate and cotton seed were 80.59, and 53.51 percent, respectively. Dry matter effective degradability for the above feedstuffs at the maintenance level was 64.40, 36.70, 66.43, 76.03 and 48.16%, respectively. Dry matter degradability for these respective feedstuffs at 24 hours was 66.93, 33.57, 68.24, 79.83 and 48.71. The amount of gas production at 96 hour of incubation for alfalfa hay, wheat straw and corn silage were 51 , 45 and 75.5 milliliters , respectively, and for concentrate and cotton seed at 48 hour of incubation were 81 and 58.5 milliliters. Correlation coefficient between dry matter degradation and gas production for these feedstuffs were 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, 0.96 and 0.99 respectively and correlation coefficient between crude protein degradation and the amount of gas production were respectively recorded as 0.97, 0.99, 0.99, 0.99 and 0.98. Due to the high correlation coefficient existing between dry matter degradation, crude protein degradation, ADF and NDF degradation, and gas production, regression equations between these parameters and gas production were assessed for an estimation of the amount of these parameters from the amount of gas production without a need for tedious digestion experiments. As an example regression equation between alfalfa dry matter degradation and its gas production was: Y = 35.724+ 0.714x. In line with 51 milliters of gas production for alfalfa at 96 hour, this equation estimated 72.14% of degradation for alfalfa dry matter during this time, which in comparison with the 71.52% from digestion experiments, there is not any significant difference observed between the two recordings.