Lipids in diets for Holstein steers: apparent digestibility

Abstract

Twelve Holstein castrated steers averaging 26 months old and an initial weight of 471kg were allotted to a completely randomized design to evaluate the effect of adding lipids in the diet on intake and apparent digestibility (ADC) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), starch, ether extract (EE), gross energy (GE), and also the possibility of replacing indigestible dry matter (iDM) with indigestible NDF, as an internal marker. No treatment effect on intakes of DM (14.58 kg/day), CP (1.86 kg/day), NDF (6.44 kg/day), ADF (4.22 kg/day) and GE was observed. Nutrient ADC was not affected by dietary lipids inclusion. The iDM can be used as maker to estimate the ADC of CP, EE and starch.