DEGRADABILIDADE IN SITU DA MATÉRIA SECA, DA PROTEÍNA BRUTA E DA FRAÇÃO FIBROSA DE CONCENTRADOS E SUBPRODUTOS AGROINDUSTRIAIS

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) ruminal degradability of corn (Zea mays), soybean meal (Glicyne max L.), palm kernel cake (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and cocoa meal (Theobroma cacao L.). Samples of each feed were incubated in rumens of three steers for periods of 0; 3; 6; 12; 24 and 48 hours. The DM, CP, NDF and ADF effective degradabilities, for a passage rate of 5%/hour, were relatively low (lower than 60%), except for soybean meal CP (higher than 65%). Soybean meal showed the greatest degradation coefficients for DM and CP as so as for cellular wall constituents, followed by corn, palm kernel cake and cocoa meal. Cocoa meal showed the lowest ruminal degradation rates. KEY WORDS: Cocoa meal, incubation ruminal, palm kernel cake.