• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제8권5호
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• pp.443-447
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• 1995

Fifteen Karan-Swiss male calves of 9-12 months of age were divided into three groups of five each in a randomised block design. Animals in group I were fed wheat straw ad lib. and concentrate mixture according to their requirements, while in group II and III the animals were fed with 1/3 of the required concentrate mixture replaced by UMM licks 'Ex' and 'F', respectively. The DMI (kg/day as well as per 100 kg b.wt.) were similar (p > 0.05) among different groups of animals, however, the digestibility of DM as well as OM enhanced from $52.85{\pm}1.48$ to $58.36{\pm}1.89$ and $55.33{\pm}1.48$ to $60.12{\pm}1.75$, respectively. Growth rates of the calves were $533.8{\pm}27.25$, $532.3{\pm}42.24$ and $538.4{\pm}18.68$ g/d in groups I, II and ill (p > 0.05), respectively. Body composition and N balances of the animals were not affected by supplementation of UMM licks, however, protein retention efficiency was higher in group III ($82.57{\pm}2.54$) though nonsignificant. Feed cost/day was reduced from Rs. 7.92 (group I) to Rs. 4.62 (group II) and Rs. 3.44 (group III). Hence, partial replacement of concentrates by UMM licks reduced the cost of feeding of growing calves by 41.7 to 56.6% without affecting the growth performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제18권7호
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• pp.990-996
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• 2005

The effect of diets varying in level and source of nitrogen (N) and fermentable organic matter on dynamic characteristics of microbial populations in rumen liquor and their impact on substrate fermentation in vitro was studied. The diets tested were straw alone, straw+concentrate mixture and straw+urea molasses mineral block (UMMB) lick. The same diets were taken as substrates and tested on each inoculum collected from the diets. Diet had no effect on the amino acid (AA) composition of either bacteria or protozoa. Differences among the diets in intake, source of N and OM affected bacterial and protozoal characteristics in the rumen. Upper asymptote of gas production (Y$\alpha$) had a higher correlation with bacterial pool size and production rate than with protozoal pool size and production rate. Among the parameters of the gas production model, Y$\alpha$ and lag time in total gas has showed significant (p<0.01) correlation with bacterial characteristics. Though the rate constant of gas production significantly differed (p<0.01) between diet and type of straw, it was least influenced by the microbial characteristics. The regression coefficient of diet and type of straw for Y$\alpha$ indicated that the effect of diet on Y$\alpha$ was threefold higher than that of the straw. As microbial characteristics showed higher correlation with Y$\alpha$, and diet had more influence on the microbial characteristics, gas production on a straw diet could be used effectively to understand the microbial characteristics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.320-325
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• 2005

Effect of period of adaptation and levels of monensin were studied for microbial fermentation/ digestibility to find out the optimum period of adaptation of monensin in rumen and suitable level of monensin in wheat straw+concentrate and wheat straw+UMMB diet. The mean digestibility of dry matter was decreased upto T-3 treatment (49.17%), however, digestibility of DM was affected upto period (P-2). NDF digestibility was affected due to treatment under P1 and P2 (p<0.05). Average digestibility of ADF was increased to 53.33% at T-3 level of monensin and P4 days of adaptation. TVFA (mmole/100 ml) were decreased from 9.49 in T-1 to 7.70 in T-7. Periods were not effectives except P2 (14 days of adaptation). Similarly, total gas was decrease with the increase of monensin levels in diet. Although acetate percentage in TVFA was not affected either due to level of monensin or period of adaptation but propionate was increased due to increase in monensin at 21 days of adaptation (P-3). Butyrate (%) was decreased significantly in T-2 to T-6 as compared to T-1 group. Total gas was significantly (p<0.01) higher in group T-1 (control) and it reduced significantly in T-5, however, differences in gas production between group T-3, T-5 and T-7 at P-1 was not significant. Methane production was reduced on P-3 and P-4 level of adaptation due to treatment. The overall result indicated that 21 days of adaptation with monensin was sufficient to mask the inhibiting effect of monensin to cell wall digestibility and 35 ppm monensin is optimum to reduce methane production and increase propionate productions.