Influence of supplemental protein source and protein concentration on ruminal and intestinal digestion in heifers

Six pregnant Holstein heifers fitted with ruminal cannulas and T-type duodenal cannulas were used in a 6 x 6 latin square design experiment to determine whether diets formulated on a rumen undegraded CP (UDP) equivalent basis would provide a more accurate estimate of protein quality for ruminants. Six diets (barley [B]/brome-alfalfa hay-based) were formulated to contain three concentrations of CP (14.0%, 16.5% and 19.0%) and three protein sources (canola meal [CM], meat and bone meal [MBM] and soybean meal [SBM]). The six diets were B, 14% CP, CM, 16.5% CP; SBM, 16.5% CP; MBM, 16.5% CP; CM, 19% CP; and SBM, 19% CP. The diets were formulated so that the 16.5% CP diets were equivalent on a CP basis, whereas the MBM16.5, CM19 and SBM19 were equivalent on a UDP basis. Diets were compared with regard to protein degradability in the rumen and protein flow to, and digestion in, the intestine. Animals fed the CM and SBM diets had higher (P less than .05) ruminal levels of branched-chain VFA than the control diet. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen (N) concentrations were affected (P less than .05) by supplemental protein source and concentration (8.8, 10.9, 11.2, 11.2, 13.2 and 17.7 mM for B14, CM16.5, SBM16.5, MBM16.5, CM19 and SBM19, respectively). Ruminal OM digestion was affected (P less than .05) by protein source MBM16.5, which was lower than protein source in all other diets. Total N flow to the small intestine for the three diets formulated on a UDP equivalent basis was 224.0, 225.6 and 241.1 g N/d for MBM16.5, CM19 and SBM19, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)