Paziani et al., 2001. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 30 (5): 1630-1638

This work was carried out to evaluate the digestibility, using Cr 2O 3 and indigestible neutral detergent fibre (INDF), as markers, and also the degradability using ground ear corn (GEC). Six treatments were used in a factorial design, with 3 milling degrees (3/8, 9/16 and 3/4) of ground ear corn and peanut meal or corn gluten feed as protein sources. The milling degrees of ground ear corn did not have effect on pH, N-NH 3, digestibility (dry matter - DM, crude protein - CP, extract ether extract - EE, starch, neutral detergent fibre - NDF, acid detergent fibre - ADF) and ruminal degradability for DM and starch. Digestibility coefficients differed between 2 markers and was higher for Cr 2O 3. There was a significant interaction for pH and N-NH 3 between protein sources and milling degree, but only on 9/16, with lowest pH value for peanut meal and lowest N-NH 3 concentration for corn gluten feed. There was no effect of milling degree on rumen degradability of dry matter, but there was protein source effect, and the degradability was higher on corn gluten feed treatments. The starch degradability of GEC plus protein source did not differ between protein sources, but differed when only GEC on nylon bags was used. The starch degradability was higher in corn gluten feed treatments.