Tr. Chauhan et al., EFFECT OF FEEDING GREEN BERSEEM AND AMMONIATED WHEAT OAT STRAW AD-LIBWITH WHEAT BARLEY (GRAIN) ON NUTRIENT UTILIZATION IN GROWING BUFFALO HEIFERS, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 64(4), 1994, pp. 393-398
Comparative utilization of wheat-straw + 2 kg green berseem + concentr
ate mixture (control); ammoniated oat straw + 2 kg green berseem + 1 k
g wheat (grain) (T-1), ammoniated oat straw + green berseem + 1 kg bar
ley (grain) (T-2), ammoniated wheat straw + green berseem + 1 kg wheat
(grain) (T-3), and ammoniated wheal straw + green berseem + 1 kg barl
ey (grain) (T-4), was studied by feeding straw and green berseem ad li
b. to 1-year-old growing female buffalo heifers. The average daily gai
n of heifers was 503. 665, 607, 578 and 572 g in control, T-1, T-2, T-
3 and T-4 groups, respectively, during 120 days. The differences were
significantly higher in treatment groups as compared to that in contro
l; but within the treatments they were higher in oat-straw-based ratio
ns. The differences in the digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, CF, energy a
mong experimental rations were nonsignificant; however, the digestibil
ity of NFE was significantly higher in the control group than in vario
us test groups. A reverse trend was observed for the digestibility of
CP and ADE. The nitrogen retained as per cent of observed nitrogen was
better in the control group. It remained almost similar. There was an
increasing trend in the concentration of NH3-N and total VFA in rumen
liquor at 0 and 6 hr feeding and between various experimental groups
it remained unaffected. Similar trend was observed lor the concentrati
on of blood glucose, serum proteins and serum albumin in various exper
imental groups. The higher activity of serum GOT, GPT and alkaline pho
sphatase was noticed at 0 and 6 hr feeding in the various experimental
groups as compared to control. Feed to gain ratio was higher in the c
ontrol group than test group. Similarly, the cost/kg gain (Rs) in the
control, T-1, T-2, T-3 and T-4 groups was Rs 13.47, 8.42, 9.01, 9.80 a
nd 9.84 respectively. It was inferred that free choice feeding of gree
n berseem and fermented oat/wheat straw along with 1 kg wheat/barley g
rain as a source of energy can result in economical raising of growing
buffalo heifers.