Nutritive Value of Major Feed Ingredients, Usually Browsed and Their Responses to Gayals (Bos frontalis) in the Hill Tract Area

Research Article
Nutritive Value of Major Feed Ingredients, Usually Browsed and Their Responses to Gayals (Bos frontalis) in the Hill Tract Area

Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2001, 4(12), 1559-1561.

Abstract

Chemical composition and the rumen degradability of different types of tree twigs and leaves and shrubs usually browsed by the gayal were determined. Dumur (Ficus hispida) twigs contained the highest CP (170 g kg^-1 DM) and the whole Pahari Narish contained the highest ADF (451 g kg^-1 DM). The CP content of Gamari (Gmellina arborea) twigs, whole Rokygola plants, Bamboo (Podocarpus nerifolia) leaves and twigs or Alu (Solanum tuberosum) plant twigs ranged from 102 to 111 g kg^-1 DM, while their ADF contents ranged from 250 to 400 g kg^-1 DM. Pahari Kalmilata (Convolvulus arvenses) contained the lowest CP (57 g kg^-1 DM). The whole Lata (Eupatorium odoratum) contained the lowest ADF (181 g kg^-1 DM). The 48h degradability of Dumur, Gamari and Pahari Kalmi ranged from 611 to 677 g kg^-1 DM and of Furun (Thysanolaena maxima) pata and Pahari Kola (Musa ornata) pata ranged from 404 to 488 g kg^-1 DM. The lowest DM degradation at 48h was found with Bamboo leaves and twigs (258 g kg^-1 DM). A silage feeding trial on gayals showed that the daily fresh biomass intake of the Para (Brachiria mutica) and Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) silage was 6.85 and 6.54 kg/h when the browsing time of the animals were restricted to half of the control groups. Restriction of browsing and feeding of silage did not significantly (p>0.05) change the daily live weight gains of the gayals fed the Napier and Para silage (439 and 347 g/d, respectively) from that of the control (422 g/d). Another feeding trial on gayals showed that the daily voluntary intake of roughage was 2.40 kg (DM/%LW) for group of stall feeding when the browsing time of the animals was restricted to 2 h/d. Restriction of browsing and feeding of available roughage did not significantly (p>0.05) change the daily live weight gain of the gayals fed the available roughage (94 g/d) from that of the control (101 g/d).

ASCI-ID: 1-2228

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