The effect of protein degradation products in grass silages on feed intake and intake behaviour in sheep

The effects of NH3 and amines on grass-silage intake, intake behaviour and rumen characteristics were studied in sheep. From a single sward, two direct-cut grass silages were prepared, either untreated (WAS) or with 4.51 formic acid/tonne (FAS). Four experimental diets: WAS, FAS, FAS with addition of 2.9 g NH3/kg DM (FAS + N) and FAS with 2.8 g amines/kg DM (FAS + A), were offered ad lib. once daily to four rumen-cannulated wethers in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Daily DM intake (DMI) tended to be influenced by dietary treatment (P = 0.09). Compared with FAS, DMI was lower for WAS. Addition of NH3 did not alter DMI, whereas amine addition slightly lowered daily DMI. Reduced DMI resulted from lower intake rates during both the principal meal and the subsequent small meals. Lower initial intake rate during the principal meal suggested reduced palatability of WAS and FAS + A. Amines and NH3, however, did not influence chewing efficiency. No treatment effects were observed on total rumen pool size, DM and neutral-detergent fibre content. Furthermore, NH3 and amines did not alter rumen pH, NH3 and volatile fatty acid concentrations to the extent that they could act on chemostatic intake regulation. Amine addition, however, lowered osmolality of the rumen liquid. No treatment effects on rumen motility were observed. In conclusion, daily DMI was not reduced by the addition of NH3, suggesting that NH3 per se is not the causal factor in the negative correlations between silage NH3 content and intake observed by other authors. Amines, however, tended to reduce DMI only by their effect at the oro-pharyngeal level of intake control.