Sk. Bhatia et al., EFFECT OF FIBROUS DIETS ON FEEDING PATTERN, DIGESTIBILITY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS IN CATTLE AND BUFFALO, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 64(11), 1994, pp. 1259-1263
The relative feed intake pattern, nutrient digestion and other related
physiological parameters were studied in young male cattle (193 kg) a
nd buffaloes (196 kg) by feeding wheat straw-groundnut-cake diet (9-10
% CP) and sole berseem hay (11.5% CP). Buffaloes ate relatively less (
P<0.05) dry matter per unit metabolic body size than cattle. Irrespect
ive of the test diets, the average meal size on DM basis was consisten
tly lower for buffaloes (69-71 g) than for cattle (72-83 g/hr/100 kg b
ody weight). Further, buffaloes consumed lesser (34%) feed dry matter
(wheat straw-groundnut-cake) up to first 4 hr feeding than cattle (37.
2%) indicating subsequent ingestion of larger portion of diet. However
, with a change in dietary regime (berseem hay), a relatively higher p
roportion of offered feed dry matter (47% in buffaloes and 63% in catt
le) was eaten by these ruminant species up to first 3 hr feeding. Such
changes may be ascribed to differences in fibrous components of these
two test diets. The digestion of leed nutrient exceeded (P<0.01) in b
uffaloes than in cattle fed low-grade roughage. The related physiologi
cal parameters (blood urea and dietary regimes, though rectal temperat
ure and pulse rate were lower (P<0.05) in buffaloes vis-a-vis cattle f
ed berseem hay. The results inferred that earing pattern is governed b
y ruminant species and fibrous components of diet.