UTILIZATION OF FODDER-BASED COMPLETE DIETS IN CROSSBRED BULLS

Four complete diets containing (diet 1) sorghum straw (SS) + subabul f orage meal (SFM), (diet 2) SS + sunhemp hay (SH), (diet 3) dry mixed g rass (DMG) + SFM, and (diet 4) DMG + SH were compared with a control r ation consisting of DMG and concentrate mixture in digestion and metab olism trials by feeding to 5 crossbred bulls using a 5 X 5 latin-squar e design to assess their palatability and nutrient utilization. The co mplete diets showed significantly higher digestibilities of all nutrie nts except organic matter on diets 3 and 4 compared to control ration. Among the complete diets, diet 2 containing SS and SH recorded higher digestibilities of organic matter and crude protein. All the experime ntal animals were on positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance s. The digestible crude protein and total digestible nutrient (TDN) co ntents and intake on all the experimental rations except for TDN on co ntrol ration were higher than the maintenance requirements for bulls. Nutrient digestibility and utilization were higher on diet 2 containin g SS + SH compared to other complete diets and that complete diets per formed better as compared to control ration.