• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.672-676
• /
• 2018

Objective: An experiment was conducted to study the effect of a blend of essential oils (BEO) on enteric methane emission and growth performance of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Methods: Twenty one growing male buffaloes (average body weight of $279{\pm}9.3kg$) were divided in to three groups. The animals of all the three groups were fed on a ration consisting of wheat straw and concentrate mixture targeting 500 g daily live weight gain. The three dietary groups were; Group 1, control without additive; Group 2 and 3, supplemented with BEO at 0.15 and 0.30 mL/kg of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively. Results: During six months feeding trial, the intake and digestibility of dry matter and nutrients (organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre) were similar in all the groups. The average body weight gain was tended to improve (p = 0.084) in Group 2 and Group 3 as compared to control animals. Feeding of BEO did not affect feed conversion efficiency of the animals. The calves of all the three groups were in positive nitrogen balance with no difference in nitrogen metabolism. During respiration chamber studies the methane production (L/kg DMI and L/kg digestible dry matter intake was significantly (p<0.001) lower in Group 2 and Group 3 as compared to control animals. Conclusion: The results indicated that the BEO tested in the present study have shown potential to reduce enteric methane production without compromising the nutrient utilization and animal performance and could be further explored for its use as feed additive to mitigate enteric methane production in livestock.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.465-468
• /
• 1992

Urinary purine derivatives and creatinine excretion was measured in a total of 4 white Alpine sheep. They were given diets 718 to 1060 g/kg dry matter (DM) of roughage. The crude protein content of this diets was on average $93.87{\pm}5.57g$ in kg DM. Purine derivatives-N excretion increased linearly with incremental DM intake and was significantly correlated (n = 16) with amounts of digestible organic matter (DOM) intake: allantoin-N (mg) = 1.205 (${\pm}0.070$) $\times$ DOM (g) - 136.709 (${\pm}37.399$), r = 0.9770, RSD = 22.97; uricacid-N (mg) = 0.131 (${\pm}0.041$) $\times$ DOM (g) + 11.380 (${\pm}21.881$), r = 0.6306, RSD = 13.44; Hypoxanthine-N (mg) = 0.049 (${\pm}0.014$) $\times$ DOM (g) - 28.640 (${\pm}7.708$), r = 0.6544, RSD = 4.73; total purine derivatives-N (mg) = 1.385 (${\pm}0.083$) $\times$ DOM (g) - 90.261 (${\pm}44.552$), r = 0.9706, RSD = 27.47. Microbial protein synthesis per kg DOM was estimated of 113 g. The urinary creatinine-N excretion was on average 9.10 mg/kg live weight (LW) with a standard error of 0.12 mg creatinine-N per kg LW. The excretion of creatinine excreton was not related to feed intake. Daily creatinine excretion (mg/d) was calculated from individual LW measurements and the average creatinine excretion (mg/kg LW). It was possible to predict the daily urinary purine derivatives excretion (r = 0.9720 for allantoin, r = 0.9886 for total purine derivatives) from the ratio of purine derivatives (mg/100 ml) and creatinine (mg/100 ml) in the urine and the daily creatinine excretion.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.888-898
• /
• 2017

Tenebrio molitor larvae, also known as yellow mealworms (MW), are rich in protein and lipid and can serve as a potential alternative protein and energy source in commercial aquafeeds. Therefore, this study attempts to evaluate the effects of different drying methods on the nutritional value of MW meal. For this, live MW were cold-anaesthetized before being subjected to three different types of drying methods, including freeze-drying, oven-drying at $60^{\circ}C$ and air-drying at room temperature for three days, and compared for proximate composition and energy content. An in-vivo digestibility test was then conducted to evaluate the nutrient digestibility of MW meal in diets for rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. A test diet was prepared by mixing the MW meal with a reference diet (Ref) in a 30:70 ratio with chromium oxide as an inert marker at the inclusion level of 0.5%. Rockfish with mean body weight of 150 g were stocked into a fecal collection system equipped with fiberglass tanks of 400 L capacity. Each group of fish was fed one of the experimental diets to apparent satiation for 4 weeks. The results of the proximate analysis showed that drying methods had no significant effect on crude protein, crude lipid, ash and energy contents of MW. Despite being a rich source of protein and lipid, MW meal was deficient in certain amino acids, particularly methionine, and highly unsaturated fatty acids, particularly 22:6n-3 (DHA) and 20:5n-3 (EPA). MW meal showed high digestibility values for protein (93%), lipid (97%) and energy (88%). These results may indicate that MW meal is a nutritious and acceptable feed ingredient, with comparable digestibility values to conventional animal and plant feedstuffs such as fish meal and soybean meal, in practical diet for rockfish at grower stage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.7
• /
• pp.1019-1023
• /
• 2001

An on-farm trial was conducted in temperature-controlled lactation rooms at a commercial pig farm to investigate the efficacy of broadcasting sow suckling grunts from day 4 of lactation, on increasing piglet growth to weaning. In the Broadcast treatment, sows and litters were exposed to a 3-min broadcast from loud-speakers every 42 min. The Control treatment was not exposed to the broadcast. All sows and litters had similar husbandry and piglets were provided with creep feed on the floor twice daily. In each of the three replicates in time, the Broadcast and Control treatments were allocated to different lactation rooms at random and there were 12 sows and litters per treatment per replicate. A total of four identical lactation rooms were available for the trial, each containing 28 conventional sow and litter crates with piglet heater in the creep area. A non-trial room separated the two treatment rooms in each replicate to minimise the chance that the broadcast grunt stimulation was audible to the Control treatment litters. Five "normal and average-looking" piglets from the trial litters were weighed twice, 7 d apart. The cohort of five piglets was identified by ear-tags and formed the experimental unit for the statistical analysis. The average (${\pm}SD$) age of piglets at initial weighing was 7.7(${\pm}2.22$) days. For each litter, mean piglet live weight at day 14 of lactation was estimated by linear regression of the two weights recorded seven days apart, when on average, the Broadcast treatment had been exposed to the stimulation for 10 days. Piglets in the Broadcast treatment were heavier (p<0.01) at day 14 of lactation compared to Control treatment (4.24 and 3.92 kg, respectively) and tended to have a greater average daily weight gain over the 7-d period (245 and 228 g/day, respectively; p<0.08). The results suggest piglet growth was improved by about 8% in response to the regular, timed broadcast of sow suckling grunts in the lactation shed. The independent contributions of milk and creep feed to the improved growth remain to be determined.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.561-567
• /
• 1993

Twenty Korean native bulls averaging 181 kg body weight were fed a fixed amount (1.5% of live weight) of concentrate and free choice roughage cubes which had four ratios of rice straw and orchard grass hay; 100:0, 85:15, 70:30 and 55:45 on a weight basis. Five bulls were assigned to each treatment and fed for 98 days in a confinement house. Nutrient digestibility and available energy content of mixed rations (40% concentrate and 60% roughage cubes) was determined in a digestion trial with twelve wethers. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in situ dry matter disappearance of the roughage cubes were also determined. The ratio of grass hay to rice straw did not influence dry matter intake. Significant improvements in body weight gains and feed/gain ratios were obtained as grass hay levels increased. Average daily gain and feed/gain for each treatment was 0.83, 0.88, 0.98 and 0.99 kg; 7.63m 7.59, 6.83 and 6.41, respectively. Digestibility of the nutrients was improved with increasing levels of grass hay in the cubes. The IVDMD of roughage samples having a ritio of 100:0, 85:15, 70:30 and 55:45 between rice straw and orchard grass hay were 31.0, 37.1, 41.8 and 43.4%, respectively. Grass hay improved the IVDMD of rice straw diets in a linear manner up to 30%. In situ dry matter disappearance rate was also increased as the level of orchard grass hay increased.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.1155-1162
• /
• 2015

This study aimed to evaluate the nutrient digestibility of growing rabbits fed diets with different levels of either Leucaena leucocephala (LLM) or Moringa oleifera (MOLM) leaf meals and also to compare total collection and $TiO_2$ marker methods for estimating digestibility. A total of 30 California growing rabbits ($1.81{\pm}0.19kg$ live weight on average) were randomly distributed into five experimental groups of six rabbits each and were housed in individual cages. The groups were control, 30% LLM, 40% LLM, 30% MOLM, and 40% MOLM. All groups received pelleted diets for two weeks; diets also contained 4 g/kg titanium dioxide as dietary marker. Daily feed intake was recorded during the whole experimental period and total feces were collected daily and weighed individually during four days. The results showed that there were no difference (p>0.05) in feed, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), digestible energy, and crude fiber (CF) intake between the control group and the other experimental groups. The apparent digestibility values of DM, OM, CP, CF, acid detergent fiber, and gross energy were the highest for control group (p = 0.001), meanwhile MOLM diets had generally higher nutrient digestibility coefficients than LLM diets. Increasing the inclusion level of leaf meal in the diet from 30% to 40% improved the digestibility of CF from 45.02% to 51.69% for LLM and from 48.11% to 55.89% for MOLM. Similar results for apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were obtained when either total collection or indigestible marker method was used. In conclusion, the digestibility of MOLM containing diets were better than LLM diets, furthermore $TiO_2$ as an external marker could be used as a simple, practical and reliable method to estimate nutrients digestibility in rabbit diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.945-949
• /
• 2012

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis), a tea known for its high antioxidant content, was supplemented to 30 of 60 ewes for 13 wks to assess its effect on their productive performance. A 2.5% inclusion rate of Yerba Mate (YM) in a pelleted concentrate diet decreased feed intake and live weight (LW) during the first few weeks post partum (p<0.001). Overall, the YM group ate less ($2,092{\pm}78g/d$) pellet than the control (CTRL) one ($2,434{\pm}83g/d$); similarly, LW was lower in the YM group compared to the CTRL one, $64.9{\pm}1.6kg$ and $67.3{\pm}1.4kg$, respectively. Lambs' birth weight and growth rates were not affected. At birth, lambs' LW were similar between the Yerba Mate and control groups ($4.2{\pm}0.5kg$ and $4.1{\pm}0.4kg$, respectively. At the end of the trial, Yerba Mate lambs weighed $15.7{\pm}0.4kg$ while CTRL lambs weighed $16.1{\pm}0.4kg$. Average daily growth rate was similar between the two groups and ranged from $176{\pm}19$ to $234{\pm}24g/d$. The inclusion of Yerba Mate in a pelleted diet increased milk fat, protein and total solids content while it decreased milk lactose content. Further work is required to investigate the mechanisms by which Yerba Mate supplementation affects feed intake and milk composition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.12
• /
• pp.1773-1775
• /
• 2002

Tannery waste contained 90.93% DM, 77.02% CP, 0.77% CF, 2.83% EE, 7.19% ash and 3,450 kcal ME/kg DM. A total of 144 day-old broiler chicks were divided into three dietary groups; $D_1$ (Containing 10% protein concentrate-PC), $D_2$ (Containing 5% PC+5% tannery waste-TW) and $D_3$ (Containing 10% TW) having 3 replicates of 16 chicks in each. The birds were fed broiler starter diet containing 22% CP, 3,000 kcal ME/kg and broiler finisher diet containing 21% CP, 3,100 kcal ME/kg up to 42 days of age, and meat yield traits were measured from the representative birds from each replication to asses the feasibility of using tannery waste in the diet of broiler. Feed intake, live weight, feed conversion efficiency and livability did not differ between diets (p>0.05) but the cost of production and profitability differed significantly (p<0.001). Profitability of D1, D2, and D3 diets were 2.98, 9.90 and 14.04 Taka/kg respectively. Diets did not affect on meat yield traits (p>0.05), except gizzard, shank and feather weight (p<0.01). Gizzard and shank weigh were improved with increasing level of tannery wastes in the diet, hence tannery waste can be used without any harmful effect in the broiler diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.1575-1581
• /
• 2012

This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation of microbially-fermented spent mushroom substrates (MFSMS) on weight gain, carcass characteristics, and economic efficiency of Hanwoo steers. Highly cellulolytic bacteria (Enterobacter spp. and Bacillus spp.) isolated from spent mushroom substrates (SMS) stacks were inoculated (1% v/v) into the SMS, which was anaerobically fermented and fed to the steers for 12.6 months during the growing and fattening periods. Growing Hanwoo steers were assigned to the control group without supplementation of Microbially-fermented SMS (MFSMS), to a treatment group with 50% of MFSMS (1/2 of the ad libitum group), and to a treatment group with ad libitum access to SMS (the ad libitum group). All the groups were fed the formulated feed and rice straw. The voluntary intake (DM basis) of MFSMS was 1.6 kg/d during the growing period and 1.4 kg/d during the fattening period. The voluntary rice straw intake decreased by 6 to 11%, but the total voluntary DMI increased by 7 to 15% with MFSMS fed. The increased DMI with MFSMS supplementation resulted in a tendency of increased (p = 0.055) live weight gain by 8 to 12% compared with the control group. At slaughtering, the supplementation of MFSMS increased (p<0.05) the ribeye area by an average of 10 cm2. In conclusion, feeding MFSMS improved growth performance and carcass traits of Hanwoo steers and could successfully replace a part of conventional roughage such as rice straw commonly used in Asian countries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.12
• /
• pp.1700-1704
• /
• 2004

Ninety six growing pigs ($Duroc{\times}Landrace{\times}Jia$) were used to investigate the effects of betaine on growth, nutrient utilization, carcass composition and meat quality at different levels of betaine in the diet. The pigs were randomly assigned by weight to four groups, each of which was replicated three times with eight pigs per replicate. Four groups were fed with diets supplemented with 0, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 mg/kg betaine. The pigs were grown from 20 kg live weight to approximately 64 kg. The 1,000 mg/kg and 1,500 mg/kg betaine treated groups increased average daily gain by 13.20% (p<0.01) and 9.28% (p<0.05) and average daily feed intake by 7.30% (p<0.05) and 7.33% (p<0.01) respectively and decreased feed conversion ratio by 7.93% (p<0.01) and 6.55% (p<0.05) respectively compared to the control group. However, these differences were not found in the other betaine treated groups. The 1,000 mg/kg betaine treated group significantly elevated carcass lean proportion by 7.49% (p<0.05) and longissimus muscle area by 19.12% p<0.05) and contents of ether extract and myoglobin in longissimus dorsi. by 34.21% (p<0.01) and 29.56% (p<0.01) respectively, reduced carcass fat proportion and fat depth by 27.21% (p<0.05) and 14.86% (p<0.05) respectively compared to the control group. It is concluded that betaine supplementation in the diets may improve growth performance and carcass characteristics in growing pigs.