Effect of feeding wastelage on intake and digestibility of nutrients in adult buffaloes

Abstract

Four wastelages incorporating, 70 (T₂),60 (T₃) and 50% (T₄) cattle waste with wheat straw as roughage and 80 parts wheat straw and 20 parts deoiied rice bran as control (T₁) were prepared. Urea in graded levels was added to raise the protein content (12-13%) al 40% moisture level. These silages were fed to 4 adult fistulated buffaloes in 4 X 4 latin-square design for 24 days in each switch over. The dry-matter intake decreased significant (P<0.05) in T₂ T₃, and T₄ in comparison to control (T₁). but among the treatments the dry-matter intake was higher in T4 The digestibility of proximate principals. cell-wall components and nitrogen retention decreased significantly in T₂ T₃ mId T₄ in comparison to T₁ The results indicated that addition of more than 50% cattle waste in the diet 'reduces the nutrient intake and digestibility.