The Effects of Different Proportions of Miscanthus Silage Replacing Corn Straw Silage on the Growth Performance and In-testinal Health of Sheep
In recent years, developing novel feed resources has become a research focus in animal husbandry. Miscanthus, with its short growth cycle, high yield, low production cost, and rich crude protein and nitrogen-free extract content during the tender stage, shows great potential as a high-quality feed. However, its feeding value and health impacts on sheep remain undetermined. Therefore, this 60-day feeding trial evaluated the effects of replacing corn straw silage with miscanthus silage at varying ratios in sheep diets. Results demonstrated that replacing 50% of corn straw silage with miscanthus silage improved the growth performance, intestinal morphology, and microbial barrier func-tion. However, complete substitution may compromise jejunal barrier integrity. Notably, the replacement with miscanthus silage may be helpful in reducing the methane pro-duction. Our study provides novel insights into the effects of miscanthus on growth performance and intestinal health of sheep.