Metabolized energy value of some cereal grain on wheat straw based diets in buffaloes

Abstract

Adult male buffaloes (20) weighting 480.2 ± 7.99 kg were divided into 5 groups of 4 animals in each following a completely randomized design to determine the metabolizable energy content of 4 cereal grains. The animal sin control group (T₁) were offered a basal diet composed of 700g deolied groundnut-cake and ad lib. wheat straw, whearas test groups were offered 1.8 kg broken grains viz, wheat (T₂) sorghum (T₃), bajra (Penesetum typhoid) (T4) or rice kani (T5) each along with the basa diet. The dry matter intake was 60.6 ± 2.62, 71.3 ± 3.58, 70.1 ± 6.00, 72 ± 2.14 and 71.0 ± 2.32 g/kg W0.75 /d in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ groups respectively. Dry matter intake was significantly (P<0.05) higher in T₂, T₃, T₄, and T₅ groups than T₁ group. Dry matter digestibility was 50.2 ± 1.32, 57.1 ± 1.91, 54.2 ± 2.10, 56.3 ± 1.18 and 56.2 ± 1.06% in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄, and T5 groups respectively, without any significant difference with each other. The gross energy intake was 262 ± 11.2, 3.11 ± 15.5, 306 ± 25.8, 316 ± 9.2 and 306 ± 10.0 and metabolizable energy intake was 104 ± 5.4, 146 ± 4.4, 138 ± 10.0, 138 ± 7.8 and  136 ± 6.1 keal/kg W0.75/d in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ groups respectively. Methae production was 145.6 ± 9.98, 195.0 ± 3.94, 198 ± 8.32, 195 ± 7.64 and 173.3 ± 8.44 I/d in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ groups resectively. Methane production was significantly (P<0.05) higher in T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ groups than T₁ However, variation among test groups was not significant. Energy balance was 0.2 ± 1.3, 33 ± 4.8, 7± 2.8, 2.6 and 18.0 ± 4.01 keal/kg W0.75/d in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T_{5/sub> groups respectively. The digestible energy content was 3.71 ± 0 17.3.26 ± 0.28, 2.98 ±  0.31 and 3.00 ±  0.21 and metabolizable engery content was 3.26 ± 0.13, 2.77 ± 0.33, 2.56 ± 0.36 and 2.76 ± 0.25 Mcal/kg dry matter for wheat, sorghm, bajra and rive kani (broken rice), respectively, differences between grains being nonsignigicant.}