Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Maghsad Sahneh ¹
• Abdolhakim Toghdory ²
• Taghi Ghoorchi ³
• mohammad asadi ⁴

¹ Department of Animal and Poultry nutrition, Animal Science Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Maghsad.sahneh@gau.ac.ir

² Corresponding Author, Department of Animal and Poultry nutrition, Animal Science Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Toghdory@gau.ac.ir

³ ​Department of Animal and Poultry nutrition, Animal Science Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Ghoorchi@gau.ac.ir

⁴ Department of Animal and Poultry nutrition, Animal Science Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Mohammad.asadi_s97@gau.ac.ir

Abstract

Objective: The nutritional value of corn industrial products is very important and it is one of the valuable sources of organic materials for industrial usage. Starch, animal feed, sugar syrup and oil are extracted from corn in starch factories. Residues from food industries are among the industrial wastes that can be consumed by animals. In extracting starch and preparing glucose from corn, some by-products are obtained which are suitable for animal feeding. Among these products, the corn steep liquor is more taken into consideration. Corn steep liquor, which is produced during the wet milling process of corn kernels to extract corn starch and oil, is a relatively cheap, tasty and easily available product for animals and it has potential to be used as a feedstuff in ruminants due to its proper energy and protein content and low fiber concentration. Corn liquor, is a viscous liquid with a light to dark brown color which has a smell similar to silage and acidic pH, 3.86, which can be used in animal feed. Material and Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of corn steep liquor replaced for soybean meal on feed intake and ruminal fermentation of lactating Dalagh ewes. Twenty one ewes with parity 3 (average weight of 36±3.7 kg) were used in 3 treatments and 7 repetitions in the form of a completely randomized design. The treatments included: 1) control, 2) diet containing 4 percent of corn steep liquor of DM and 3) diet containing 8 percent of corn steep liquor of DM.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that dry matter intake increased with the increase of dietary corn steep liquor level (P≥0.05). There was no significant difference in rumen pH and protozoa population. Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration increased with the increase of corn steep liquor level in the diet (P≥0.05). There was no significant difference in the concentration of butyrate, isovalerate, valerate and the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen among the experimental treatments. However, with the increase in the dietary level of corn steep liquor, the concentrations of propionate increased and the concentration of acetate and total volatile fatty acids decreased in the rumen (P≥0.05). Blood cholesterol concentration was not significantly different between different treatments; but total protein, urea nitrogen, triglyceride and blood glucose concentrations increased with increasing the level of corn steep liquor in the diet (P≥0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, it can be recommended to add corn steep liquor to animal rations up to the level of 200 grams per kilogram of dry matter consumed.

Keywords

• Volatile fatty acids
• Protozoa
• Corn liquor
• Blood parameters
• Dalagh ewes