Souza et al., 2006. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 35 (3): 921-927
Casca de café em dietas para novilhas leiteiras: consumo, digestibilidade e desempenho
The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of partially replacing ground corn with coffee hulls (0.0, 8.75, 17.5 and 26.25% concentrate DM) on nutrient intake, apparent total tract digestibility, and daily weight gain of dairy heifers. 24 Holstein * Zebu heifers were assigned to a complete randomized block design with 4 treatments and 6 replicates. Diets were isonitrogenous (15.5% CP) and contained 60% Tifton-85 haylage and 40% concentrate. Dry matter (6.75 kg/day), organic matter (6.23 kg/day), CP (1.04 kg/day), total carbohydrates (5.01 kg/day), and neutral detergent fibre (3.11 kg/day) intakes were not affected by the replacement, while the nonfibre carbohydrates (NFC) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) decreased. Apparent total tract digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, CP, total carbohydrates, neutral detergent fibre, NFC, and TDN all decreased linearly by partially replacing ground corn with coffee hulls. Daily weight gain decreased by 6.94 g per percentage unit of coffee hulls added to the diet. However, inclusion of up to 17.5% of coffee hulls (7.0% of the diet DM) resulted to daily weight gain similar to those obtained with 0.0 and 8.75% of coffee hulls in the concentrate.