This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different ratios of rice straw to swine manure as an earthworm feed on the change of physico-chemical characteristics and earthworm viability during composting, and further to provide the basic information for an efficient vermicomposting using the manure of livestock. Experimental earthworm used in this study was Eisenia foetida and the ratio of swine manure and rice straw was determined to 100:0(SM), 90:10(SRS10), 80:20 (SRS20), 70:30(SRS30) and 60:40(SRS40) on the basis of volume. The results are summarized as follows. Earthworm appeared after 8 week of aging period, and it was possible for the earthworm to survive in all the treatments. C/N ratio was significantly higher (P＜0.05) in the treatments of rice straw mixture (SRS30 and SRS40) than swine manure alone (SM treatment). Appropriate C/N ratio for earthworm survival was the range of 10.43 to 11.16. During the period of aging, pH value and electrolyticconductivity (EC) were the highest in the treatment of swine manure alone. However, as the inclusion of rice straw was increased, pH value and EC showed a decreasing tendency. Appropriate pH value and EC for earthworm survival were 7.7 to 7.8, and 2.72 to 4.59mS/㎝, respectively. The results from this study indicated that mixing swine manure with rice straw more improved more physico-chemical environment for earthworm growth in comparison with swine manure alone, and rice straw showed the sufficient possibility as a bulking agent for an efficient vermicomposting of swine manure.

This trial was carried out to determine effects of TMR(Total Mixed Ration) in comparison to conventional diet on feed intake, digestibility, and nitrogen retention in Korean black goats. Twelve Korean black goats were allotted to treatments in four groups of three goats and then they were housed in separate metabolism cages for 21 days. Treatments included conventional diet(A: rice straw and commercial concentrates) as a control group and three TMR groups(B: rice straw and commercial TMR; C: 30% organic whole barley silage and rice straw with organic grain; D: 60% organic whole barley silage with organic grain). The results obtained are summarized as follows. Dry matter intake, fecal excreta, digestible dry matter, metabolic intake and feed intake of BW were significantly higher(p＜0.05) compared with A, B, C treatments. The digestibility for most of nutrients except NFC was significantly higher(p＜0.05) for D treatment than the others. On the other hand, the digestibility of NFC was higher for B treatment than for the others, even if it was not significantly different across treatments. Nitrogen intake was lower for D treatment, but the significant differences were not found across treatments. N retention rate was higher for B treatment with significant difference. For the blood composition, HDL cholesterol and Immunoglobulin G were significantly higher (p＜0.05) for C, D treatment than the others. The results showed that, in comparison with A treatment(conventional diet) and B treatment(commercial TMR), dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility and N retention rate were not lower in C treatment(30% organic whole barley silage) and HDL cholesterol was increased after experiment. Therefore, it could be concluded that TMR with organic whole barley silage might contribute to the production of a high quality and safer meat in goat production.

This study was conducted to determine effects of probiotics on performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in Korean black goats fed two diets differing in forage to concentrate (F:C) ratio (30:70 and 70:30), for the establishment of their more efficient feeding management system. The probiotics employed in this trial were mixtures of different microbial species, which consisted of Lactobacillus casei, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus oryzae and Streptomyces griseus. Additional levels of probiotics to each F:C ratio (70:30 or 30:70) were 0 and 0.2%, respectively. Thus, twelve Korean black male goats were allotted to treatments in four groups of three goats per treatment and then they were housed in individual metabolism cages with a randomized complete block design for 21 days. Dry matter (DM) intakes were not affected by dietary F:C ratio and probiotics. Digestible DM amounts were significantly (p＜0.05) decreased with increasing levels of dietary forage, but they were not affected by probiotics addition. Dry matter intakes per metabolic body weight and their ratio per body weight had a similar trend to DM intakes with no significant difference by F:C ratio and probiotics addition. The nutrient digestibility was significantly (p＜0.05) increased with decreasing levels of forage in the diet, but it was not affected by probiotics addition. Urinary nitrogen loss was significantly (p＜0.05) decreased with decreasing levels of dietary forage, but there was no significant difference between probiotics-supplemented and unsupplemented groups within the same F:C ratio. On the contrary, nitrogen retention was decreased with increasing levels of dietary forage, and probiotics supplementation to two diets differing in F:C ratio showed slightly increasing trends in the nitrogen retention. From the above results, probiotics supplementation to two diets differing in F:C ratio did not have the significant influence on feed intakes, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention. Consequently, these parameters of Korean black goats were dominated rather by F:C ratio than by dietary probiotics.

This study was conducted to develope efficient vermicomposting using of different mixture ratios of cow manure and rice hull by feeding these to earthworm and then by studying the growth and reproductive efficiency of earthworm, and the chemical composition of worm cast and its production. The results are summarized as follows. C/N ratio of feed was 20.43~31.16 and it increased according to the higher proportion of rice hull, and survival of earthworm was 97.6~98.4%. Number of young worms were significantly higher in 10~40% addition of rice hull(number of 824~844) than number of 769 of real cow manure treatment(P＜0.05). Fresh weight of young worms was 8.00~11.8g and it was significantly higher in 40% addition of rice hull than for other treatments(P＜0.05). The cast production of earthworm was significantly lower in the 40% addition of rice hull than for other treatments(P＜0.05). But digested matters were showed in the tendency of becoming higher in the 40% addition of rice hull than in 10~30% addition of that. C/N ratio of worm cast was significantly higher in 40% addition of rice hull than for other treatments(P＜0.05). Heavy metal concentrations of worm cast were showed in the tendency of becoming lower in the 40% addition of rice hull than in 10~30% addition of that.

This study was conducted to develope efficient vermicomposting using of different mixture ratios of cow manure and sawdust by feeding these to earthworm and then by studying the growth and reproductive efficiency of earthworm, and the chemical composition of worm cast and its production. The results are summarized as follows. C/N ratio of feed was 20.43~45.20 and it increased according to the higher proportion of sawdust, and survival of earthworm was 97.6~100%. Number of young worms were significantly higher in 30 and 40% addition of sawdust (number of 899.6 and 927.8) than number of 769 of real cow manure treatment (P＜0.05). Fresh weight of young worms was 8.00~14.35g and it was significantly higher in 40% addition of sawdust than other treatments(P＜0.05). The cast production of earthworm was showed in the tendency of becoming lower in the 40% addition of sawdust than in 10~30% addition of that, but digested matters were significantly higher in 10~40% addition of sawdust than real cow manure treatment(P＜0.05).

The quality including in situ degradability in the rumen of Holstein of the black locust silage added with apple pomace was investigated in this study. The amount of apple pomace added in different treatments were 0, 20, 40 and 60% respectively. With higher amount of addition of apple pomace in black locust, crude protein content in the silage decreased. Crude protein contents in the apple pomace added silage were in the range between 11.7 and 13.7% and those were significantly lower than 16.3% of 100% black locust silage. The contents of ADF, NDF and crude ash were in the same trend as with crude protein, which were shown more clearly in the 40~60% addition of apple pomace. Moisture content of 100% black locust silage was 56.7% however it significantly increased according to higher levels of addition of apple pomace(67.1~73.8%). pH, lactic acid and total organic acid contents in 20~60% addition of apple pomace were 3.7~4.3, 1.3~2.2%, and 2.1~6.0% respectively, however in 100% black locust silage those were significantly lower except pH as 5.4, 0.6% and 1.0% respectively. In situ disappearance rates of dry matter and NDF in the rumen were significantly higher at the stages of incubation after 12h and 24h respectively in 20~40% addition of apple pomace than in 100% black locust silage. No statistical differences were observed with quickly degradable fraction (a) in the disappearance rates of dry matter and NDF. In dry matter, however slowly degradable fractions (b) of 100% black locust and 60% addition of apple pomace were significantly higher as 99.7 and 99.8% respectively than 37.7~50.5% of 20~40% addition of apple pomace. On the contrary, fractional rate of disappearance (c) and effective degradability(ED) were significantly higher in 20~40% addition of apple pomace as 0.0115~0.0149 and 30.4~31.9% respectively than the respective values of 0.0027 and 24.9% of 100% black locust. In NDF, b was significantly higher in apple pomace added silage(38.5~99.8%) than in 100% black locust silage(14.9%). However, C was significantly lower in apple pomace added silage than in 100% black locust silage.