This original research study investigated how cereal type (maize vs. sorghum) and baking temperature used in the production of tella (traditional Ethiopian beer) influence the nutritional quality of atella, a widely used brewery byproduct for ruminant feeding in Africa. Using in-vitro rumen and intestinal digestion models, the study found that cereal type had a stronger effect than heat treatment on crude protein and amino acid degradability. Maize-derived atella showed lower rumen protein degradation but higher intestinal digestibility of bypass protein and amino acids compared with sorghum-derived atella. Low-temperature-treated maize atella demonstrated the highest overall crude protein digestibility and amino acid availability. Lysine and methionine were identified as the primary limiting amino acids for milk protein synthesis. The findings highlight the importance of considering both raw material origin and processing conditions when using traditional brewing byproducts in dairy cow diets and emphasize the need to balance atella with feeds rich in rumen-degradable protein for optimal microbial efficiency.
Resource type:
Peer review