Effect of feeding gram straw as a sole feed for yearling sheep

Yearling sheep (5) of the same age and body weight (10 m, 16 to 18 kg) were fed solely on gram straw ad lib. to study its nutritive value. The intakes ofOM, DCP and TDN per kgO . 75 were 60.16, 1.02 and 28.44 g, in comparison to the standard (lCAR) values of50.95, 4.42, and 39.28 g, respectively. The digestibility co-efficient ofOM, CP, CF, EE and NFE were 46.08,39.55,49.48,40.60 and 51.72 and the DCP and TON contents were 1.71 and 47.27%, respectively. All the animals were in positive nitrogen balance and maintained their body weight during the experimental period of 28 days. Ruminal nitrogen fraction peaked at 4 h post-feeding and declined later. Lower pH and higher TVFA values observed at 4 h post-feeding indicated inverse relationship between pH and TVFA concentration ofrumen fluid. Serum NH3-N and urea-N at 0 and 3 h post feeding did not differ (P