Wheat as a survival ration for sheep. 1. The digestion of wheat and formaldehyde treated wheat

Abstract

The digestibility of wheat and formaldehyde (HCHO) treated wheat and the metabolites formed during their digestion were examined in three experiments. The wheat ranged in nitrogen content from 2.4 to 2.6 g N/100 g organic matter. HCHO treatment had little effect on organic matter digestibility or on the proportions of individual volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen although total VFA concentration and the proportion of organic matter digested in the stomach declined. The effect of HCHO treatment on apparent nitrogen digestibility varied between experiments although N retention and the quantity of nitrogen digested in the intestines were generally increased. The addition of urea to HCHO treated diets had no effect on digestibility, the quantity of N digested in the intestine, the concentration of total VFA or on the proportions of individual acids. Abomasal infusion of L-lysine hydrochloride and DL-methionine induced a small but not significant increase in nitrogen retention.