Bacterial profile in rumen liquor under different dietary regimes in buffalo calves

Abstract

The eftect of different diets on the population of different rumen bacteria was studied in buffalo calves. Rumen fistulated male buffalo calves (4) were sequentially kept on 4 different diets (21 days on each diet), i.e. diet A: green fodder, wheat straw, commercial concentrate and mineral mixture; diet B: green fodder, wheat straw and subabulleaf meal concentrate; diet C: wheat straw treated with urea, molasses and salt; and diet D: exclusively wheat straw. The highest viable bacterial count, proteolytic bacterial count and lipolytic bacterial count were recorded in diet B. The total bacterial count was higher in diets Aand B as compared to C and D. The amylolytic bacterial count was higher in diets Band Cas compared to A and D. The cellulolytic bacterial count was highest in diet C, whereas diet D sustained the lowest population of all types of bacterias studied.