This research was carried out to determine the possibilities of improving the feed value of lentil straw with steam and acid treatment. Lentil straw (Lens culinaris M.) was used as feed material and three 3-year-old, Kıvırcık rams fitted with rumen cannula were used as the animal material. Lentil straw was impregnated with different concentrated H2SO4 solutions, and then autoclaved at different periods and temperatures. After these treatments, the nutrient contents and cell wall components of the lentil straw were determined, and rumen degradability characteristics were determined with the nylon bag technique and gas production technique. In conclusion, higher cell wall utilization rates were achieved with steam and acid treatment. However, after steam treatment at 121 ºC temperature for 5 h reaction time without acid application, considerable increases (P < 0.05) were observed in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation as well as the gas production of treated lentil straw.

This research was carried out to determine the possibilities of improving the feed value of lentil straw with steam and acid treatment. Lentil straw (Lens culinaris M.) was used as feed material and three 3-year-old, Kıvırcık rams fitted with rumen cannula were used as the animal material. Lentil straw was impregnated with different concentrated H2SO4 solutions, and then autoclaved at different periods and temperatures. After these treatments, the nutrient contents and cell wall components of the lentil straw were determined, and rumen degradability characteristics were determined with the nylon bag technique and gas production technique. In conclusion, higher cell wall utilization rates were achieved with steam and acid treatment. However, after steam treatment at 121 ºC temperature for 5 h reaction time without acid application, considerable increases (P < 0.05) were observed in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation as well as the gas production of treated lentil straw.