Souza et al., 2004. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 33 (6 Supplement 2): 2170-2176

Four levels of coffee hulls (0.0, 6.25, 12.5, 18.75 and 25.0% DM) in substitution of ground maize in their concentrate ration were used to evaluate the effects on intake and apparent digestibility of diets in Brazil. Twenty sheep were used in a randomized block design, with five treatments and four replicates. The animals were fed all ad libitum with isoprotein diets, 10% crude protein (CP), contained 60% of coastcross hay and 40% of concentrate in dry matter basis. Sheep were maintained in a metabolism cage for 19 days (12 days of adaptation and 7 days of data collection). The intakes of dry matter (1.41), organic matter (1.34), CP (0.15), total carbohydrate (1.17), neutral detergent fibre (0.71) and nonfibre carbohydrate (0.45) and the total digestible nutrients (0.85) kg/day were not affected by the coffee hulls levels. Coffee hulls did not affect apparent digestibility of dry matter (60.1%), organic matter (62.1%), neutral detergent fibre (46.9%), CP (66.3%), total carbohydrate (61.5%) and nonfibre carbohydrate (84.1%). Coffee hulls can be included up to 25% in the concentrate ration.