AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Metabolizable Energy of Aspen Flower Buds for Captive Ruffed Grouse

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1968
Authors:Hill, DC, Evans, EV, Lumsden, HG
Journal:The Journal of Wildlife Management
Volume:32
Issue:4
Date Published:1968
ISBN Number:0022541X
Keywords:Bonasa, Bonasa umbellus, Meleagris, Meleagris gallopavo, Phasianidae, Philomachus, Philomachus pugnax, Scolopacidae
Abstract:The metabolizable energy (ME) of male trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) flower buds for ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) was investigated. The buds were collected during early winter and kept frozen until fed to captive adult grouse during the following spring and early summer. Grouse fed whose buds as the sole food lost weight rapidly over a 10-day period and were in distinct negative nitrogen balance. From appearance of the excreta the aspen buds seemed very poorly digested and estimates of ME in the buds yielded an average value of 0.63 kcal/g dry matter as compared to 3.04 kcal/g dry matter for a commercial turkey grower diet. An indirect method of determining ME gave average values for aspen buds, cellulose, and wheat bran of 0.88, 0.78, and 2.43 kcal/g dry matter, respectively. Under the experimental conditions, aspen flower buds had a low ME content, little better than pure cellulose. However, the fact that the ME values found for cellulose and bran were considerably higher than those reported for similar materials as determined with domestic chickens may indicate that grouse have a rather high capacity to digest fibrous foods.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/3799561
Short Title:The Journal of Wildlife Management
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