• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.374-379
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• 2003

Four rumen fistulated Murrah buffaloes were used to study the effect of four diets differing in roughage to concentrate ratio on rumen biochemical changes, microbial enzyme profile and in sacco degradability of feed in a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square design. The animals were fed four diets consisting of 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50 ratios of wheat straw and concentrate mixtures, respectively. Wheat straw and concentrate mixture were mixed with water (0.6 l/kg feed) and complete feed mixture was offered to the animals at 8:00 h and 16:00 h in two equal parts. The variation in pH of rumen liquor (difference of maximum and minimum during 0-8 h post feeding) increased with increasing level of concentrate mixture in the diet. There was no effect of diet composition on volatile fatty acids, total nitrogen and trichloro-acetic acid precipitable nitrogen in the rumen liquor, but ammonia nitrogen increased with increasing level of concentrate mixture in the ration. Major portions of all fibre degrading enzymes were present in the particulate material (PM) of the rumen contents, but protease was absent in PM fraction. The activities of micro-crystalline cellulase, acetyl esterase and protease increased with increase in the level of concentrate mixture, but the activities of other enzymes (carboxymethylcellulase, filter paper degrading activity, xylanase, $\beta$-glucosidase and $\beta$-xylosidase) were not affected. The in sacco degradability and effective degradability of feeds increased with increasing level of concentrate mixture in the ration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권8호
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2000

Productivity, nutrient contents, in vitro gas production and in sacco degradability of different fractions and whole OPF were determined to assess the feeding value of OPF as a ruminant feed. An in vivo digestibility trial was also carried out using goat. Freshly harvested OPF was randomly collected, partitioned and weighed. An OPF from 21 years older palm weighed 13.4 kg and the annual fresh matter yield of petiole, leaflet and midrib was 46.5, 11.8 and 3.4 ton/ha, respectively. Leaflet contained 439, 926, 698, 501, 168, 196, 748 and 52 (g/kg) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose (CE), hemicellulose (HC), total carbohydrate (TC) and non fiber carbohydrate (NFC), respectively. Petiole contained lower (p<0.01) DM, CP and EE contents than leaflet. Organic matter, CE and TC contents were higher (p<0.01) in petiole compared to leaflet. Silica and lignin contents were highest (p<0.01) in midrib followed by leaflet, whole OPF and least in petiole. The Ca, P, Na, K and Mg contents (g/100 g DM) of leaflet were 0.529, 0.182, 0.039, 0.876, and 0.168, respectively. In vitro DM digestibility (g/100 g) at 48 h of leaflet, petiole and midrib was 32.7, 38.7 and 30.2, respectively. The in sacco DM degradation (g/100 g) at 48 h of leaflet was higher than that of whole OPF, petiole and midrib. The in vivo digestibility of DM, OM, CP and ADF of whole OPF was 52, 56, 43 and 26%, respectively. It can be concluded that leaflet is the most nutritious fraction of OPF and midrib is the least. The nutrient content and digestibility of the whole OPF showed that OPF could be an alternative roughage source for ruminant diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권9호
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• pp.1307-1311
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• 2002

Twelve dietary combinations were prepared using 70 parts of fermented wheat straw (FWS) as the sole roughage supplemented with 30 parts of either the low protein concentrate mixture (Conc.-I), high protein concentrate mixture (conc.-II), maize grains (M), solvent extracted mustard cake (DMC), deoiled rice bran (DRB), uromol bran mixture (UBM), deep stacked poultry litter (DSPL), dried poultry droppings (DPD), M-DMC mixture (50:50), M-UBM mixture (50:50), M-DPD mixture (50:50) or M-UBM-DPD mixture (50:25:25) and evaluated by in-sacco technique. The above dietary combinations were also evaluated by changing the roughage to concentrate ratio to 60:40. The digestion kinetics for DM and CP revealed that FWS:DPD had the highest, whereas, the FWS:M-DMC had the lowest rapidly soluble fraction. The potentially degradable fraction was found to be maximum in FWS:M and minimum in FWS:DPD dietary combinations. The higher degradation rate of FWS:DRB and FWS:UBM combinations was responsible for their significantly (p<0.05) higher effective degradability as compared to other combinations. The highest undegradable fraction noted in FWS:M-UBM-DPD followed by FWS:DMC was responsible for high rumen fill values. The FWS:DRB, FWS:UBM and FWS:DPD combinations had higher potential for DM intake. The dietary combination with higher concentrate level (60:40) was responsible for higher potentially degradable fraction, which was degraded at a faster rate resulting in significantly higher effective degradability as compared to the corresponding dietary combination with low concentrate level (70:30). The low undegradable fraction in the high concentrate diet was responsible for low rumen fill values, which predicted of high potential for DM intake. Out of 24 dietary combinations, FWS with either of UBM, DRB, DMC, Maize, M-DMC or DPD in 70:30 ratio supplemented with minerals and vitamin A in comparison to conventional feeding practice (roughage and concentrate mixture) could be exploited as complete feed for different categories of ruminants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.215-222
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• 1997

Ten rice varieties were planted at two locations (lowland and highland), during the wet and dry seasons of different years. In vivo digestibility and voluntary intake of the straw, were determined in groups of fat-tail sheep, supplemented with $18g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ concentrate DM, containing ~20% crude protein. Voluntary intake of digestible straw organic matter (DOMI) consistently varied from 15.2 to $20.9g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ between straw varieties, averaged over locations, years and seasons, despite considerable variation between individual batches. This variation in the nutritive value of the straw was independent of straw and grain yield, so it would seem that there is scope for selection of rice varieties with straw of higher nutritive value. The variation in DOMI of straw among location of growth, year and season, was of a magnitude similar to the improvement brought about by urea-ammoniation. The in sacco degradation characteristics and digestibility of rice straw residues were superior to those of the offered straw. This can be attributed to a preference for rice straw leaves relative to stems. Averaged over location of growth, year and season, characteristics of in sacco degradation, i.e. the rate of fermentative degradation and the truly undegradable fraction, emerged as accurate predictors of the nutritive value of rice straw.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.389-396
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• 1994

Effects of chemical treatments on in sacco and in vitro digestibility of barley straw by rumen fluid and pure cultures of cellulolytic bacteria were studied to evaluate the pretreatment and to improve the poor quality feed. Chemicals were applied by dissolving them in water equivalent to 40% of the weight of the straw (dry matter basis). Pretreatment with 5% NaOH yielded the largest increase in sacco digestion followed by pretreatment with 2% $(NH_4)_2SO_3$, 2.6% $NH_4OH$, 1.6% $NaHSO_3$ and untreated straw (control). In sacco dry matter digestibility of straw treated with NaOH and $(NH_4)_2SO_3$ continued to increase as the concentration of chemical increased (1 to 7.5%), as it was the in vitro dry matter loss by leaching. Treatment of barley straw with 5% NaOH enhanced significantly (p < 0.01) in vitro digestibility by rumen fluid, Fibrobacter suceinogenes and Ruminococcus albus though the fermentation products by cellulolytic bacteria were low, whereas the treatment with 5% $(NH_4)_2SO_3$ inhibited in vitro digestibility by F. succinogenes and R. albus together with lower fermentation products. Dry matter loss by leaching and bacterial digestion from barley straw treated with NaOH and $(NH_4)_2SO_3$ suggested the effect of pretreatment with these chemicals were based on leaching, and the cellulolytic bacteria had little to do with digestion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.225-231
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• 2009

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on the nutritive value of grass silage (GS) in relation to voluntary intake, digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability. Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth. The DM yield at harvest was the lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) and increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for the medium and late-cut silage respectively. As the crop matured, the crude protein (CP) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05) and there was a marked increase in acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration (p<0.001). The three different silages were offered to four 18-month old Charolais wether sheep to measure the voluntary intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention over four 21-day periods in an incomplete changeover design. Silage degradability characteristics were determined using four fistulated sheep to measure DM degradability over 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) ($P_L<0.01$) as harvesting of grass was delayed. Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faeces and N balance also linearly decreased ($P_L<0.01$) with postponed harvesting of grass for silage. DM degradability and effective degradability (ED) significantly decreased with increasing maturity of grass at harvest. The results suggest that harvesting date has a significant influence on the nutritive value of GS in terms of intake, digestibility, N balance and in sacco degradability in the rumen. It was concluded that early harvest GS ensured higher intake, digestibility, N intake and DM degradability in comparison with the medium and the late cut GS as a result of improved rumen N efficiency and utilization probably due to a better balance of available energy and protein.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.311-314
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• 1989

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.421-423
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• 1989

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권9호
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• pp.1219-1227
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• 2000

Rumination behavior, in vivo digestibility of cell wall constituents, particle size reduction in the rumen, and retention time in the digestive tract of sheep were examined using rice and oat straw as roughage sources. The in sacco digestibility, rumen fermentation, and microbial population and internal adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) content were also determined under feeding conditions of high-roughage and high-concentrate diets. Chewing number and time in rumination behavior were higher with rice straw than with oat straw, while the in sacco and in vivo DMD of rice straw were consistently lower than those of oat straw. Rice straw also showed higher frequency of thinner and longer particles in the rumen contents and lower retention time in the whole digestive tract as compared to those of oat straw. Rice straw was more effective to maintain the ruminal pH than oat straw, being reflected in higher internal ATP content of large-type protozoa on the high- concentrate diet. Changes in the ruminal microflora by shifting from the low- to the high- concentrate diet were also different between rice and oat straw.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.1580-1584
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• 2001

A study was conducted to estimate the nutritive value of some selected acacia forages using palatability index, in sacco degradability and in vitro gas production characteristics. Ten wethers (mean wt. $18{\pm}3.5kg$) were offered Acacia tortilis, Acacia nilotica, Acacia mellifera, Acacia brevispica, Acacia Senegal and Leucaena leucocephala (control) using a cafeteria system to determine the species preference by the animals. The acacia species were rich in nitrogen and showed variable palatability pattern. Significant (p<0.05) differences in relative palatability index (RPI) were detected among the species with the following ranking: brevispica > leucaena > mellifera > tortilis > Senegal > nilotica. Acacia nilotica appeared to be of low relative palatability with RPI of 24% and this was attributed to relatively high phenolic concentrations. The DM potential degradability (B) and rate of degradation (c) of the species were significantly (p<0.05) different, ranging from 40.1 to 59.1% and 0.0285 to 0.0794/h respectively. Acacia species had moderate levels of rumen undegradable protein, much higher than that in leucaena. In vitro gas production results indicated the effect of polyphenolic compounds on the fermentation rate, with lower gas production recorded from A. nilotica and tortilis. Based on RPI, A. brevispica and mellifera were superior to the rest and comparable to L. leucocephala. Long-term feeding trials are required with the superior species when used as protein supplements to poor quality diets.