Four dry and four lactating Holstein heifers, received the following treatments to evaluate rumen degradabilities of soybean meal, rice meal, coast cross hay and sugar cane, through a dacron bag in situ technique: A = 70% roughage diet; dry cows; B = 70% roughage diet, lactating cows; C = 50% roughage diet, dry cows and D = 50% roughage diet, lactating cows. A randomized block design was used and the treatments had four repetitions in different times. Dry cows presented a higher degradability rate for soybean meal, coast cross hay and sugar cane than lactating females. Lactating cows consumed 40% more dry matter than the dry ones and presented higher rumen liquid turn-over. Coast cross hay and sugar cane were better digested with 70% roughage diets, than with the 50% roughage diets.
Roughage; Dairy cows
