The Effect of Added Glucose upon the Digestibility of Protein and of Fiber in Rations for Sheep

Using six sheep as experimental animals and the double reversal method of feeding, the effect of corn sugar upon the digestibility of the nutrients of a ration was studied with the following results:1It increased the apparent digestibility of (a) dry matter, (b) N-free extract, and (c) total carbohydrates.2It decreased the apparent digestibility of (a) total nitrogen and (b) crude fiber; and decreased the metabolizable energy content.3It had no significant effect upon the apparent digestibility of either ether extract or gross energy.4The metabolizability of the energy of the sugar-free ration is approximately the same as that of the sugar-containing ration.5It had no effect upon the true digestibility of total nitrogen, since the apparent decrease in digestibility can be entirely accounted for by the estimated increase in metabolic nitrogen in the feces of the sheep on the sugar ration.6The rather marked decrease in the digestibility of the fiber when sugar was present was apparently due to the preference by the microorganisms of the paunch for sugar.