Relative intake, nutrients utilization, nitrogen balance and fermentation pattern in sheep fed stay-green and go-brown sorghum silage

Based on 2 years evaluation of 6 stay green and 4 go brown sorghum cultivars for nutritional and morphological attributes, 2 promising cultivars each of stay green (M35_1 and CSV_15) and go brown sorghum (HD_20 and J Sel_10) were gown, harvested 1 month after grain collection and then conserved as silage. Silage was fed ad lib. to 16 crossbred sheep divided equally to silage of each cultivar. Metabolism trial was conducted to assess intake, nutrients utilization and N balance, and rumen liquor samples were collected at 0 h to determine the rumen fermentation pattern. The intake of stay green sorghum was higher than go brown. Similarly w 0.75 intake of DE, TDN and DCP was higher in sheep fed stay green sorghum silage. Sheep fed stay green sorghum silage had 4_5 units more nutrients digestibility. OM and hemicellulose digestibility was higher in animals fed stay green. N absorption and retention was higher in sheep stay green than go brown sorghum silage. DCP, TDN and DE contents of stay green sorghum were higher than go brown sorghum silage. Mean NH3_N contents were higher in rumen liquor of sheep fed stay green than go brown sorghum silage. Results indicated that silage from stay green sorghum cultivars is more palatable and nutritious than go brown cultivars.