UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

THE DIGESTIBILITY OF PERILLA MEAL,

HEMPSEED MEAL, AND BABASSU

MEAL, AS DETERMINED FOR

RUMINANTS

A. H. FOLGER

BULLETIN 604

JANUARY, 1937

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

THE DIGESTIBILITY OF PERILLA MEAL,

HEMPSEED MEAL, AND BABASSU

MEAL, AS DETERMINED FOR

RUMINANTS 1

A. H. FOLGEK 2

INTRODUCTION

In continuing its work to aid livestock feeders in their search for satis-
factory feeds, the Division of Animal Husbandry of the University of
California has conducted further tests on feeds that have recently come
on the market.

This paper contains the results of digestion trials conducted to find
the feeding values of perilla meal, hempseed meal, babassu meal, and
kapok meal. It supplements the information already given on other feeds
in Bulletins 409, 439, and 575. 3

The trials were conducted with wether sheep. These animals are espe-
cially suited to digestion trials, being eas} 7 " to handle and care for, and
their feces being easy to collect and process. Coefficients of digestibility
determined by their use are applicable to cattle. 4

Alfalfa hay of known digestibility was fed with the meals in the
ration. When the sheep were being prepared for the respective trials, a
preliminary feeding period of 10 days was used. During the 15 days
following this period feces were collected for analysis. Detailed pro-
cedures for these trials have been given in Bulletins 409 and 575.

DIGESTION TRIAL WITH PERILLA MEAL

Perilla seed is grown largely in the Orient, principally China, and has,
during recent years, been imported in considerable quantities by the
oil mills. Botanically, the plant is known as Perilla ocymoides. Large
quantities of the residual meal have been available and have been sold as
stock feed. The meal proved to be fairly palatable to the animals as it
was eaten readily by them.

1 Received for publication September 23, 1936.

2 Superintendent of Official Advanced Registry Tests.

3 Mead, S. W., and H. R. Guilbert. The digestibility of certain fruit by-products as
determined for ruminants. Part I. Dried orange pulp and raisin pulp. California Agr.
Exp. Sta. Bui. 409:1-12. 1926. (Out of print.)

Mead, S. W., and H. R. Guilbert. The digestibility of certain fruit by-products as
determined for ruminants. Part II. Dried pineapple pulp, dried lemon pulp, and
dried olive pulp. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 439:1-12. 1927.

Folger, A. H. The digestibility of brown alfalfa hay, sesame meal, and artichoke
silage as determined for ruminants. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 575:1-8. 1934.

*Armsby, H. P. The nutrition of farm animals, p. 603-05. The Macmillan Co.,
New York. 1930.

[3]

4 University of California — Experiment Station

Table 11 compares the total digestible nutrients of perilla meal with
other common feeds.

TABLE 1

Total Feed Consumed and Total Feces Collected in Trial

with Perilla Meal

Animal No.

Alfalfa hay

Perilla meal

Feces (dry)

grams
3,300
3,300
3,300
3,300
3,300
3,300

grams
6,600
6,600
6,600
5,550
6,600
6,600

grams
3,470
3,478

3,369

3,421

3,178
3,444

TABLE 2

Chemical Analyses of Feces and Feeds

Animal No. or
feed analyzed

Dry

matter*

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

Feces:
1

per cent

91.30
92.05

per cent

11.09
11.23
10.90
10.72
11.48
11.13

18.68
38.03

per cent

28.61
28.60
28.76
30.21
28.76
26.37

36.91
14.97

per cent

2.00
2.77
1.74
1.70
2.18
2.10

1.43
9.31

per cent
44.95

42 30

42.40

41.87

42.20

42.10

Feed:
Alfalfa hav

23.98

Perilla meal

21.40

* In these trials the feces were taken to the drying oven immediately after collection, and the dry
weights recorded after removal from the oven.

TABLE 3

Coefficients of Digestibility of Perilla Meal

Animal No.

Dry

matter

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

per cent
60.39
59.59
62.63
56.28
65.20
61.38

per cent
89.56
89.71
90.36
90.06
89.80
88.79

per cent
30.94
33.98
39.99
22.75
41.45
41.71

per cent
93 71

89.32
95.83
95.14
93.67
93.82

per cent
18.41

18.50

25.49

11.03

33.42

29.35

Average

60.91

89.71

35.14

93.58

22.70

One fact observed concerning the storage properties of the perilla
meal used should interest the user who stores his feed for some time be-
fore using it. Two lots of perilla meal were obtained at different times ;
within a comparatively short time the stored meal had become so solidi-
fied that it could not be used. It rather resembled sacked cement, damp
and set, and could not readily be broken up for use as feed.

Bul. 604]

Digestibility of Perilla and Other Meals

DIGESTION TRIAL WITH HEMPSEED MEAL

The oil mills of the Pacific Coast recently have been crushing large
quantities of hempseed (from the common hemp plant, Cannabis sativa) ,
and the resulting meal has been sold to livestock men in steadily increas-
ing amounts. Because of its sudden importance to the feeders of livestock

TABLE 4

Total Feed Consumed and Total Feces Collected in Trial
with Hempseed Meal

Animal No.

Alfalfa hay

Hempseed meal

Feces (dry)

grams
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000

grams
6,000
6,000
6,000
5,250
6,000
6,000

grams
4,105

4,345

4,024

3,811

3,790

3,865

in California and the lack of recent information concerning it, a diges-
tion trial was decided upon. The meal was fed to the sheep used in the
previous trial with perilla meal.

The hempseed meal proved rather unpalatable to sheep, and some
difficulty was experienced in getting them to eat it. They were finally
brought on to feed, however, and the trial was completed satisfactorily.

TABLE 5

Chemical Analyses of Feces and Feeds in Trial with Hempseed Meal, Lot 1

Animal No. or feed
analyzed

Dry

matter*

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

Feces:
2

per cent

92.05
92.82

per cent

10.19
10.69
10.43

19.57
31.43

per cent

36.57
37.94
36.70

37.66
24.40

per cent

1.81
1.97
2.02

1.33
5.07

per cent
39.90

38.70

40.18

Feeds:
Alfalfa hay

23.08

Hempseed meal (lot 1)

23.26

* In these trials the feces were taken to the drying oven immediately on collection, and the dry weight
was recorded upon removal from the oven.

Because of the time occupied in accustoming the sheep to the meal
and the consequent waste of feed, a second lot of hempseed meal had to
be ordered. This brought to our attention a condition that may confront
the livestock feeder at any time : the two meals were totally unlike in
appearance. The first lot purchased was finely ground and light brown
in color ; the second lot was coarsely ground and dark green.

Investigation showed that the brown color of the first lot was un-
doubtedly due to scorching caused by the application of too much heat

University of California — Experiment Station

during the milling process. The second lot of meal was obviously the more
palatable of the two. Tables 5 and 6 give the analyses of the two lots.

Despite the difference in appearance between the two lots of hempseed
meal, table 7 shows no great variation in the digestion coefficients of the

TABLE 6

Chemical Analyses of Feces and Feeds in Trial with Hempseed Meal, Lot 2

Animal No. or feed
analyzed

Dry

matter*

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

Feces:
1

per cent

92.20
91.12

per cent

9.85
10.64

9.88

19.56
30.50

per cent

33.89
33.59
33.91

37.76
19.72

per cent

2.24
2.34
1.58

1.33
7.26

per cent
43.85

39.35

6. .

41.40

Feeds :

Alfalfa hay

23.12

Hempseed meal (lot 2)

24.30

* In these trials the feces were taken to the drying oven immediately on collection, and the dry weight
was recorded upon removal from the oven.

important constituents of the two lots. The analyses in tables 5 and 6,
however, show the scorched meal to be considerably lower in ether ex-
tract.

The crude-fiber content of hempseed meal is decidedly higher than
that found in comparable concentrates of similar protein content. Table
11 compares the total digestible nutrients of hempseed meal with other

common feeds.

TABLE 7

Coefficients of Digestibility of Hempseed Meal

Animal No.

Dry
matter

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

per cent
42.74
39.21
42.64
44.63
48.50
47.70

per cent
84.30
83.16

83.48
84.86
83.62
84.44

per cent
6.83
11.14
17.81
17.05
18.78
15.35

per cent
84.85
82.98
82.78
81.18
85.53
92.64

per cent
1.04

14.69

4.60

21.80
17.43

Average

44.24

83.98

14.49

84.99

11.91*

* Average for five sheep; No. 2, having a negative coefficient for crude fiber, is omitted from this
calculation.

DIGESTION TRIAL WITH BABASSU MEAL

Recent importations of babassu nuts (Orbignya speciosa) from South
America by the oil mills have drawn attention to this product. The nuts
are favored by the oil mills because of ease of handling and the high qual-
ity of the oil produced. The resultant meal resembles copra meal in color,
odor, and chemical composition. It seems palatable to stock, as no diffi-
culty was experienced in getting the sheep to eat it. Too large a propor-
tion of it in the ration caused scouring, however ; and the meal appears

BUL. 604]

Digestibility of Perilla and Other Meals

to have some laxative properties, perhaps because of an unusually high

magnesium content (table 12).

Table 11 compares the total digestible nutrients in babassu meal with

those of other common feeds.

TABLE 8

Total Feed Consumed and Total Feces Collected in Trial
with Babassu Meal

Animal No.

Alfalfa hay

Babassu meal

Feces (dry)

grams

2,250

6,000

1,676

3,000

6,000

1,960

3,000

6,000

2,046

3,000

6,000

1,920

2,250

6,000

1,610

2,250

6,000

1,679

TABLE 9

Chemical Analyses of Feces and Feeds

Animal No. or feed
analyzed

Dry

matter*

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

Feces:
1

per cent

91.87
92.70

per cent

17.07
17.08
16.43
16.24
17.67
16.70

19.56
24.60

per cent

36.65
33.69
32.31
34.44
35.18
36.13

35.52
44.47

per cent

3.81
3.90
3.76
4.22
3.68
3.64

1.70
6.67

per cent
30.13

32.00

32.20

28.75

Feeds:
Alfalfa hay

30.15
25.60

25.07

Babassu meal

11.90

* In these trials the feces were taken to the drying oven immediately on collection, and the
dry weight was recorded upon removal from the oven.

TABLE 10
Coefficients of Digestibility of Babassu Meal

Animal No.

Dry

matter*

Crude
protein

Nitrogen-free
extract

Ether
extract

Crude
fiber

per cent
83.00
82.00
81.70
85.40
84.20
83.40

per cent
86.60
85.80
85.30
88.90
86.00
85.90

per cent
84.60
85.40
86.70
87.10
87.00
85.40

per cent
90.30
89.50
89.40
88.40
91.40
91.70

per cent
70.00
59.90
63.50

78.40
72.00
84.90

Average

83.30

86.40

86.00

90.10

71.50

RESULTS OBTAINED WITH KAPOK MEAL

The kapok meal was put on the market after several mills had begun to
extract the oil of kapok seeds (Ceiba pentandra) , a by-product of the
production of kapok fiber. The meal was not attractive, being gritty and
lacking in distinctive flavor.

It proved impossible either to persuade or to force any of the sheep to
eat the meal in sufficient quantities to enable us to conduct a digestion

University of California — Experiment Station

tr'al, several of them refusing to eat any of it at all. Kapok meal was then
mixed with the regular concentrate ration used in the dairy herd, about
one-third kapok meal being used in the mixture. Several of the cows re-
fused the mixture, and all of them reduced their consumption of it.

TABLE 11

Total Digestible Nutrients of Various Common Feeds Compared
with the Feeds Used in These Trials

Feed

Alfalfa hayf

Prime cottonseed mealf. .
Coconut meal, new processt
Linseed meal, new process f.

Barley f

Perilla meal

Hempseed meal

Babassu meal

Total
dry matter

in
100 pounds

per cent
91.4
92.2
90.0
90.9
90.7
92.1
92.0
92.7

Digestible nutrients in 100 pounds

Crude
protein

per cent
10.6
33.4
19.9
30.2
9.0
34.1
26.0
21.3

Carbo-
hydrates

per cent
39.0
24.3
44.2
32.6
66.8
10.1
6.0
'44.8

Fat

per cent
0.9
7.9
3.0
6.7
1.6
8.7
5.2
6.0

Total*

per cent
51.6

75.5
70.8
77.9
79.4
63.8
43.8
79.7

* Total includes fat times the factor 2.25.

t Henry, W. A., and F. B. Morrison. Feeds and feeding— 18th edition. 770 p. Appendix table III. The
Henry-Morrison Co., Madison, Wis. 1923.

TABLE 12

Mineral Matter of Some Common Feeds Compared with the
Feeds used in These Trials

Feed

Alfalfa hay*

Barley*

Cottonseed meal 41 per cent*

Hempseed meal

Perilla meal

Babassu meal

Calcium

per cent
1.43
0.05
0.20
0.25
0.56
0.13

Phosphorus

per cent
0.21
0.38
1.19
0.43
0.47
0.49

Magnesium

per cent
0.26
0.12
0.65
0.78
0.79
97

* Morrison, F. B. Feeds and Feeding, 20th edition, p. 1009-10. The Morrison Publishing Co., Ithaca,
N. Y. 1936.

Inquiry among stockmen revealed similar difficulty with the kapok
meal, and is almost total disappearance from the market indicates lack
of success v ith it. Used as part of a feed mixture in small proportions,
10 per cent or less of the total, it may be satisfactory where it can be
bought at a price in keeping with its quality.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The writer wishes to acknowledge his appreciation of the interest and
assistance of Robert Caldwell in making the chemical determinations.

12m-2,'37