442 Digestibility of Palm Kmmel Cake, etc. 



Digestibility of Palm Kernel Cake I. 



By using now these data for the digestibility of the hay and applying 

 them to the records for Period I (Table III) in which a mixture of hay 

 and palm kernel cake I was fed we can deduce the digestion coefficients 

 of the latter. The results of this estimation are summarised in Table 

 VII. 



In certain respects the agreement between the two sheep is not 

 satisfactory, the coefi&cients for the organic matter differing by over 

 11 per cent. Comparison with the results obtained with palm kernel 

 cake 11 in Period II (Table IV) suggests that the results obtained 

 with Sheep 1 are too high, this certainly being the case with the indicated 

 digestion coefficient for crude fibre. 



These discrepancies in the results for this palm kernel cake were not 

 unexpected since not only was the amount used small (115 gms. per 

 head per day), but the ration containing it (Period I) was much less 

 bulky and contained less dry matter than the hay ration of Period IV 

 from which the digestibility of the hay was determined. There is little 

 doubt that the disturbing factor of the presence of metabolic products 

 in the faeces would make itself felt, since the amount of such products 

 present is not necessarily proportional to the weight of dry matter 

 consumed. This doubtless explains why the divergence between the 

 two sheep is greatest in respect of the digestion coefficients for protein. 



Summary of Results with Palm Kernel Cake. 



Leaving out of account the apparently abnormal results given by 

 Sheep 1 for palm kernel cake I, the three remaining determinations 

 of the digestibility of palm kernel cake have given the results summarised 

 below: 



