In vitro fermentation experiment and in vivo metabolic experiment were conducted to investigate the effects of sake lees made from steamed rice on digestion, ruminal fermentation, nitrogen balance and blood metabolites in wethers fed high concentrate diets. Rolled barley was replaced with soybean meal (SBM), dried sake lees (SLd) and wet sake lees (SLw) as substrates in in vitro study. The SLw treatment had lowest in vitro DM digestibility and acetate concentration (P < 0.01), followed by the

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... d and SBM treatments. While, the propionate concentration in the SLw treatment was highest (P < 0.01), followed by the SLd and SBM treatments. The SLd treatment was lowest in in vitro CP digestibility (P < 0.01), followed by the SLw and SBM treatments. Four wethers were used in a 4×4 Latin square design experiment and fed concentrate and roughage at the ratio of 7 : 3 in in vivo study. Soybean meal accounted for 10% of the concentrate diet was replaced with wet sake lees at 0 (C, Control), 34 (L, Low), 69 (M, Middle), 100 (H, High)%. Each concentrate diet had the equal contents of CP and TDN. Ruminal protozoa counts were lower in wethers of M and H treatments than those of C and L treatments (P < 0.05) after feeding. No significant effects of treatment on DM intake, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance, ruminal pH and VFA concentration. This study suggested that sake lees made by steamed rice can be replaced with soybean meal as concentrate diets. Nihon Chikusan Gakkaiho 89 (4), [439][440][441][442][443][444][445][446][447][448][449][450] 2018 Key words : in vitro and in vivo digestibility, nitrogen balance, rumen fermentation, sake lees, sheep.