Studies on supplementary desalted mother liquor on digestibility of nutrients, ruminal fermentation, and energy and nitrogen balance in Thai native cattle

Four Thai native steers were used to determine the adequate levels of supplementary desalted mother liquor (DML) for energy and nitrogen balances and ruminal fermentation. The crude protein and sodium chloride contents of DML were 25.5% and 60.3% on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. A 4x4 Latin square design experiment was conducted by adding different amounts of DML to three experimental diets (T1: 1.1%, T2: 2.2%, T3: 3.4% sodium chloride concentration with supplementary DML on a DM basis) and comparing their effects with those of a control diet (C) containing 1.0% commercial salt on a DM basis. The animals were given the experimental diets and rice straw daily at 1.2% and 0.8% of body weight, respectively, on a DM basis. No significant differences in the apparent digestibility of nutrients were observed among treatments. T3 achieved the lowest nitrogen retention (P<0.05), followed by C, T2 and T1. The ratios of energy retention to gross energy were higher in T1 and T3 than T2, and that in C was lowest (P<0.05). Supplementary NaCl concentration at 1% and 2% can be replaced with DML without an adverse effect on the digestibility of nutrients or on the nitrogen and energy retention.