• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1991

Nutrient evaluation of sago fibre showed that the fibre has potential and could be utilized as feed for ruminants. However, as a source of nutrients, it has limitations arising from low intake, digestibility, crude protein and minerals content. The present study showed that the sago fibre is low in crude protein (3.3%) and high in neutral detergent fibre (72.5%) and acid detergent lignin (25.8%) contents. Treatment of sago fibre with urea increased the crude protein content from 3.3 to 16.7%. Both urea and sodium hydroxide treatment decreased the neutral detergent fibre level from 72.5 to 59 and 56.5%, respectively. Rumen degradation of sago fibre by nylon bag showed that both urea and sodium hydroxide treatments increased dry matter and organic matter disappearance of the fibre significantly. In vivo digestibility of 2% urea treated sago fibre was 47.5% and intake of the fibre was 1.57% of body weight of the lamb.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1996

In this Experiment three wether male Matou goats (♂), all fitted with permanent rumen fistulae, were used to study the rumen degradabilities (incubation time 48h) of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent ligin (ADL), cellulose (CEL) and hemicellulose (HC) and their contents of wheat and rice straws were determined for the different morphological fractions and segments. The results showed that the variation of different fractions for wheat and rice straw is the true resources of their nutritive value variation and the cell wall contents of wheat and rice straw are also obviously different. The rumen degradabilities of different straw fibre are significantly different (p<0.01), mean while the effect of straw variety is also significant (p<0.05). The aim was to set up a foundation for studying the rumen degradation of the roughage resources.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.474-478
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• 2001

Eighteen Murrah male buffalo calves were allotted into three groups of six each. The calves in group I (control) were fed with whole milk, skim milk, calf starter and green maize fodder. The calves in group II (high butyric acid) and group III (low butyric acid) were fed with the same diet as control along with 24 ml and 12 ml of butyric acid/calf/day for 120 days, respectively for 120 days. Dry matter intake was higher in group II and III as compared with group I. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose was the highest in group II followed by group III and the control group. Body weight gain and conversion efficiency of dry matter, digestible crude protein and total digestible nutrients were better in group II. Cost of feed for per unit of live weight gain was the lowest in group II. It was concluded that dietary addition of butyric acid (24 ml/day) was economical and had positive effect on the performance of Murrah buffalo calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1277-1284
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• 1999

Eight feeds and their residues left after washing with tap water (water residue) or incubation in the rumen (rumen residues) were treated with hydrochloric acid, neutral detergent solution without EDTA (NDS) or both, and the release or sorption of minerals (Ca, Mg, P, Na, K, Cu and Zn) assessed. Six of the feeds were from Sri Lanka (Panicum maximum ecotype Guinea A, Glyricidia maculate, Artocarpus heterophyllus (jak leaves), untreated and urea-treated rice straw, and rice bran) and two from the Netherlands (maize silage and wheat straw). The initial concentration of mineral elements, the concentration of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and the type of feed significantly influenced (p<0.01). The proportion of the mineral elements released or sorbed. In general, feeds with high NDF content (straws and guinea grass) sorbed Ca from tap water, or released less in the rumen, and within these feeds the extent of sorption varied with source of fibre. Acid or NDS treatment removed little of the sorbed Ca, but they removed much of the Mg from both water and rumen residues. Fibres of wheat straw and jak leaves showed an affinity for Mg in the rumen. All feeds and their water and rumen residues sorbed P and Na from NDS, and the extent of sorption varied with the initial concentrations of these elements and with the type of fibre. Acid treatment removed part of the sorbed Na, but not the P. The solubility of K was not affected by the content of NDF, the type of fibre or the initial concentration of K. All feeds and their residues, except for the rumen residues of rice bran sorbed Cu from tap water and in the rumen. The recovery of Cu in rumen residues declined from 353% to 147% after NDS treatment, and with some feeds (glyricidia and jak leaves) the recovery was below 100%. Acid treatment removed part of the Zn sorbed by the water and rumen residues, but the capacity of residues to retain Zn varied with the type of feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.978-983
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• 2006

Forages from grazing lands comprise conventional feed resources for ruminants in the tropical region. A study was conducted to assess fodder productivity and nutritive potential of deferred forages of six silvopastoral traditional fodder banks in central northwest Tanzania, traditionally known as Ngitiri. The grazing lands were dominated by low quality increaser grass species: Eragrostis spp., Aristida spp., Urochloa spp., Rottboellia exaltata, Cenchrus spp., Cynodon spp. and Chloris spp., and forbs species. The grazing lands had low vegetative basal cover that varied (p<0.05) from 34.7 to 75%, and low forage biomass productivity that varied (p<0.05) from 0.76 to 3.69 tones (t) dry matter (DM)/ha. The forages contained low crude protein (CP) that varied (p<0.05) from 16 to 27 g/kg DM; and had high fibre contents, which varied (p<0.05) from 702-725, 497-573 and 119-225 g/kg DM for neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL), respectively. The forages were poorly degraded in sacco, and showed low DM degradability (DMD) characteristics of 74, 473 and 576 g/kg DM for DM washing losses (a), slowly degradable feed fraction (b) and potential degradability, (a+b), respectively; and low DMD at 48 h incubation, which varied from 317-345 g/kg DM, and contained low metabolizable energy (ME), (4.2-4.36 MJ/kg DM). The herbage forages would not meet protein and energy requirements for maintenance and production, which could be reflected through low animal productivity. Further work is needed to assess animal productivity (growth, milk, draft force) from conserved forages in traditional fodder banks in the dry season.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1657-1662
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• 2004

The forage potential of mulberry (Morus alba) was evaluated under Malaysian conditions. The yield and nutrient composition of plant fractions of mulberry (whole plant, leaf and stem fractions) were determined at four harvest stages, namely, 3 (W3), 5 (W5), 7 (W7) and 9 (W9) weeks in a randomized block design. The study was conducted over a 9-month period to assess the persistence of the crop to repeated harvests. Fresh and dry matter (DM) yields of all plant fractions increased significantly (p<0.01) with increasing intervals between harvests, with highest DM yields at W9. The leaf to stem ratio declined significantly (p<0.01) from 5.2 (W3) to 0.9 (W9), indicating predominance of the stem fraction with advancing maturity. The nutritional composition of plant fractions was also significantly influenced (p<0.01) by advancing plant maturity at harvest. Crude protein (CP), ash and the metabolisable energy content of plant fractions declined significantly (p<0.01) from W3 to W9, while there was a corresponding significant increase (p<0.01) in the acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin. From this study it was concluded that the optimum stage to harvest the whole plant is 5 weeks, which is a compromise between yield, nutrient composition (CP and fibre components), and the annual number of cuts, with good crop persistence to repeated harvests. Fresh mulberry whole plant can provide a valuable supplemental source of nutrients to poor quality basal diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.671-678
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• 1997

The objective was to evaluate method of feeding (free access or intubation), method of slaughter (carbon dioxide gas or barbiturate) and digesta flushing medium (distilled water or physiological saline), in the development of an ileal amino acid digestibility assay for 4 week-old broiler chickens. Three diets were used (commercial (C), semi-synthetic meat-and bone meal (MBM) or wheat (W)). For the coarser C and W diets but not for the MBM diet, feeding method had a significant effect on concentrations of chromium (Cr), nitrogen (N), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in the crop contents at a set time after a meal. There appeared to be a selection of food particles under free-access feeding. For birds receiving the wheat diet there was an effect (p < 0.05) of sampling time after feeding on the concentrations of Cr, N, ADF and NDF/Cr in the crop contents. Flushing ileal digesta with distilled water or saline led to similar apparent ileal N digestibility coefficients. Birds given the MBM diet, and killed by inhalation of $CO_2$, had significantly (p < 0.05) lower apparent ileal N digestibility coefficients (73 versus 80%) than those killed by barbiturate overdose.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.687-693
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• 1992

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) supplementation on the voluntary intake of rice straw and ruminal fermentation characteristics. Balance trials were conducted with three Hapanese Corriedale wethers fed a rice straw alone (control), rice straw supplemented with 75 and 150 g of SBM/day in a $3{\times}3$ latin square design. Voluntary intake of rice straw in sheep fed both levels of SBM supplemented diets was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that in sheep fed control diet. Crude protein digestibility was significantly increased (p<0.05), but organic matter, crude fibre, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibilities were not affected by SBM supplementation. Nitrogen balance was positive in sheep on both levels of SBM supplemented diets, but negative in animals on the control diet. Rumen ammonia and blood urea-nitrogen concentrations increased (p<0.05) as increasing level of SBM. Total volatile fatty acids, acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate concentrations in rumen fluid were also significantly increased (p<0.01), but ruminal pH was decreased (p<0.05) by SBM supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2005

Wheat straw was treated with microwave for 4 min and 8 min at a power of 750 W and frequency of 2,450 MHz. Chemical compositions of untreated, 4 min treated and 8 min treated straws were analyzed and in sacco degradabilities of all these straws in yak rumens were measured. Microwave treatment didn't significantly (p>0.05) affect the chemical composition of the straw. In sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of the straw after 18 h incubation in rumen was significantly (p<0.01) improved by microwave treatment. In sacco crude protein (CP) degradability of the straw was not (p>0.05) affected by microwave treatment. In sacco organic matter (OM) degradability of the straw was increased (p<0.01) by around 20% for both the 4 min and 8 min microwave treatment, that of acid detergent fibre (ADF) was increased (p<0.01) by 61.6% and 62.8%, and that of ash free ADF was enhanced by 72.1% and 69.6% for the 4 min and 8 min microwave treatment respectively. No significant difference was observed between the 4 min and 8 min microwave treatment on the degradability of DM, OM, CP, ADF and ash-free ADF of the straw.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1038-1048
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• 2021

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage time and formic acid (FA) on fermentation characteristics, epiphytic microflora, carbohydrate components and in vitro digestibility of rice straw silage. Methods: Fresh rice straw was ensiled with four levels of FA (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% of fresh weight) for 3, 6, 9, 15, 30, and 60 d. At each time point, the silos were opened and sampled for chemical and microbial analyses. Meanwhile, the fresh and 60-d ensiled rice straw were further subjected to in vitro analyses. Results: The results showed that 0.2% and 0.6% FA both produced well-preserved silages with low pH value and undetected butyric acid, whereas it was converse for 0.4% FA. The populations of enterobacteria, yeasts, moulds and aerobic bacteria were suppressed by 0.2% and 0.6% FA, resulting in lower dry matter loss, ammonia nitrogen and ethanol content (p<0.05). The increase of FA linearly (p<0.001) decreased neutral detergent fibre and hemicellulose, linearly (p<0.001) increased residual water soluble carbohydrate, glucose, fructose and xylose. The in vitro gas production of rice straw was decreased by ensilage but the initial gas production rate was increased, and further improved by FA application (p<0.05). No obvious difference of FA application on in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre was observed (p>0.05). Conclusion: The 0.2% FA application level promoted lactic acid fermentation while 0.6% FA restricted all microbial fermentation of rice straw silages. Rice straw ensiled with 0.2% FA or 0.6% FA improved its nutrient preservation without affecting digestion, with the 0.6% FA level best.