Nutritive value of malt culms (rootlets) protein as livestock feedstuff.

The nutritive value of malt culms protein was determined by in vitro methods (the determination of amino acids composition and digestibility) and in vivo method in biological trials (with chicks, baby-beef and lambs). It has been found out that less amount of malt culms protein than of sunflower meal is needed per unit of live body weight gain; Malt culms protein contains over 50 essential and semi-essential amino acids; Amino acids in malt culms protein are highly digestible and nearly the complete availability for the livestock organisms; The high content of the essential and semi-essential amino-acids, particularly lysine, methionine and cystine as well as their high digestibility make the nutritive value of malt culms to be at the level of the best protein feeds of plant origin; The main difficulty of malt culms as feed is the relatively high content of crude fibre that limits the use in feed mashes for monogastric animals.