Effect of Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus) ensilaging with two developed enzyme cocktails on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in sheep

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of feeding Atriplex halimus (AH) silage treated with two developed enzyme cocktails to sheep on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation. The AH silage was treated without or with 2L of ZAD1((R)) or ZAD2((R))/1000kg with 5% molasses and ensiled for 30 days. Barley grain (300g/head/day) was fed as an energy supplement once daily at 10.00 hours and AH silage with or without enzyme treatment was offered ad libitum to animals twice daily at 09.00 and 16.00 hours. Sheep were fed on four experimental forage diets comprised of AH silage and barley (D1), AH silage treated with ZAD1((R)) and barley (D2), AH silage treated with ZAD2((R)) and barley (D3) and AH silage treated with a combination of ZAD1((R)) and ZAD2((R)) (1:1) and barley (D4). Ensiling AH with enzymes reduced its contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. The dry matter intake of AH of D2, D3 and D4 decreased (P<0.001) as compared to D1. However, enzyme-treated diets had greater total digestible nutrients intake (P<0.001) as compared to D1. The nutrients digestibility for D2, D3 and D4 were higher than those for D1 (P<0.001), and were higher for D3 as compared to both D2 and D4. Sheep fed on D3 had highest (P<0.001) ruminal total volatile fatty acids concentration, ammonia nitrogen concentration and microbial protein yield. It could be concluded that AH silage treated with ZAD1((R)) or ZAD2((R)) improved digestibility and rumen fermentation in sheep.