Abstract
Ruminants fed tropical forages and by products rich in sugars and cell wall constituents and low in protein, exhibit poor appetite and only maintenance or low productivity, even after supplementation with nonprotein N and minerals. In such situations, dietary proteins available for digestion in the small intestine (by-pass proteins) are required to support adequate feed intake and production. Moreover, even at ad libitum intake, production may be limited by poor roughage characteristics of the basal diet and the availability of energy nutrients. Providing all other constraints have been removed (i.e., provision of soluble N, minerals, et cetera), the growth of ruminants on many tropical feeds can be markedly influenced by supplying a small amount of good roughage together with both by pass protein (which largely stimulates feed intake) and by pass energy, which apparently increases the efficiency of utilization of available energy and animo acids. Copyright © 1982. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1982 by American Society of Animal Science.