PREDICTION DE LA DIGESTIBILITE in vivo DE QUELQUES RESSOURCES ALIMENTAIRES LOCALES PAR LA METHODE AIA

Abstract

This work aims to estimate the in vivo digestibility of some local feed resources in Southern Tunisia (Khortane, dried olive leaves and Stipa tenacissima using the method of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid "AIA". 15 goats of the local population (mean age = 4 years and average weight = 25 kg) were divided into three homogeneous groups, the first groups received a ration based on oat hay (FO), the second received dried olive leaves+ Stipa tenacissima (OL) and the last group received the khortane (KO). The AIA Concentration of different feeds were comparable, it’s ranged from 1.79 in dried olive leaves to 2.13% in Stipa tenacissima. The AIA concentrations of feces were significantly affected by the type of diet, they are higher (P <0.05) in the faeces of animals fed by Khortane (7.33 ± 1.10%). The organic matter digestibility (OMD) using the AIA method was significantly higher (P <0.05) in the KO group compared to the two other groups (71.49 vs. 67.82 and 68.77%, respectively for the FO group and the OL group). The AIA method is an efficient and easy method to estimate the in vivo digestibility of different feed resources, particularly for khortane.