Ensaio de digestibilidade com bovinos em gaiolas, de um feno de capim-elefante Napier (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum)

Three crossbred Holstein steers were used in a digestion trial (in cages), to determine the nutritive value of an Elephant Napiergrass hay. Collection period lasted for seven days (after five days of adaptation to the feed and three days to the cages). Chemical composition of hay was a follows: Dry matter (DM) 87,75%; Crude protein (CP) 10,94%; Ether extract (EE) 2,57%; Crude fiber (CF) 30,81%; Nitrogen free extract (NFE) 36,29%. Data for coefficients of digestibility were as follows: DM 58,76%; CP 59,14%; EE 61,72%; CF 73,81 %; NFE 59,95%, being the Total Digestible Nutrients equal to 54,54%.