• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.343-350
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• 2015

Cocoa pod is among the by-products of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plantations. The aim of this study was to apply a number of treatments in order to improve nutritional quality of cocoa pod for feeding of ruminants. Cocoa pod was subjected to different treatments, i.e. C (cocoa pod without any treatment or control), CAm (cocoa pod+1.5% urea), CMo (cocoa pod+3% molasses), CRu (cocoa pod+3% rumen content) and CPh (cocoa pod+3% molasses+Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculum). Analysis of proximate and Van Soest's fiber fraction were performed on the respective treatments. The pods were then subjected to an in vitro digestibility evaluation by incubation in rumen fluid-buffer medium, employing a randomized complete block design (n = 3 replicates). Further, an in vivo evaluation of the pods (35% inclusion level in total mixed ration) was conducted by feeding to young Holstein steers (average body weight of $145{\pm}3.6kg$) with a $5{\times}5$ latin square design arrangement (n = 5 replicates). Each experimental period lasted for 30 d; the first 20 d was for feed adaptation, the next 3 d was for sampling of rumen liquid, and the last 7 d was for measurements of digestibility and N balance. Results revealed that lignin content was reduced significantly when cocoa pod was treated with urea, molasses, rumen content or P. chrysosporium (p<0.01) with the following order of effectiveness: CPh>CAm>CRu>CMo. Among all treatments, CAm and CPh treatments significantly improved the in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility (p<0.05) of cocoa pod. Average daily gain of steers receiving CAm or CPh treatment was significantly higher than that of control (p<0.01) with an increase of 105% and 92%, respectively. Such higher daily gain was concomitant with higher N retention and proportion of N retention to N intake in CAm and CPh treatments than those of control (p<0.05). It can be concluded from this study that treatment with either urea or P. chrysosporium is effective in improving the nutritive value of cocoa pod.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.371-375
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• 1999

The present study was conducted to evaluate the mottgrass alone and in combination with berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) at different intake levels to determine the lag time, rate and extent of digestion of DM and NDF of mottgrass. Four ruminally cannulated buffalo calves were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square Design with $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of treatments. The two factors were forage intake levels (ad libitum versus restricted) and forage source (mottgrass versus mottgrass plus 25% berseem). Four dietary treatment consisted of 1) ad libitum mottgrass, 2) restricted feeding of mottgrass, 3) ad libitum mottgrass plus berseem with a ratio of 3:1 and 4) restricted mottgrass plus berseem in a ratio of 3:1 Calves fed ad libitum mottgrass supplemented with 25% berseem consumed 25% more DM and 15 % more NDF than those fed mottgrass only. The in situ DM digestibility, the lag time and extent of digestion were not affected by intake level. However, rate of disappearance was greater in restricted fed animals than those fed ad libitum. This increased rate could be due to greater concentration of fibrolytic bacteria in restrict fed animals. The DM digestibility was greater (64.1%) in calves fed mottgrass supplemented with 25% berseem than those fed mottgrass only (57.7%). The reduced mottgrass DM digestion may be due to its higher NDF contents. The NDF digestibility, the lag and extent of NDF digestion were not affected by varying intake levels. However, rate of digestion of NDF was higher in restricted fed animals than those of ad libitum fed animals. The NDF digestibility was greater (58.4%) in calves fed mottgrass supplemented with 25% berseem than those fed mottgrass (48.7%) only.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.365-374
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• 2014

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing concentrations of crude glycerin (CGLY) in diets on nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and nitrogen utilization of goats. Four male crossbred (Thai Native${\times}$Anglo Nubian) goats, with an average initial weight of $26{\pm}3.0$ kg, were randomly assigned according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with four 21 days consecutive periods. Treatments diets contained 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% of dietary DM of CGLY. Based on this experiment, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) among treatment groups regarding DM intake and digestion coefficients of nutrients (DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF, and ADF). Likewise, mean serum glucose, BHBA, and PCV concentrations were not affected (p>0.05) by dietary treatments, whereas serum insulin concentration linearly increased (L, p = 0.002) with increasing the amount of CGLY supplementation. Ruminal pH, $NH_3$-N, and BUN concentration were unchanged by dietary treatments, except for 20% of CGLY, $NH_3$-N, and BUN were lower (p<0.05) than for the diets 10% of CGLY, while the difference between the diets 0%, 5%, and 20% of CGLY were not significant. The amount of N absorption and retention were similar among treatments. Based on this study, CGLY levels up to 20% in total mixed ration could be efficiently utilized for goats and this study elucidates a good approach to exploiting the use of biodiesel production for goat production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.201-207
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• 1998

One growth trial and one digestibility trial were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of HP300, a commercially processed soybean meal product for weanling pigs. Dried whey, fish meal and/or full fat extruded soybeans (FFES) as well as portions of soybean meal (SBM) were replaced with HP300 in weanling pig diets. The objectives were to investigate the effects of HP300 on growth performance, digestibility, ileal amino acid digestibility and blood amino acid concentration in weanling pigs. One hundred and twenty crossbred $(Duroc{\times}Beijing\;Black{\times}Landrace)$ pigs weaned at 28 days of age were used in the growth trial. The pigs were randomly allocated to five treatments, with three pens per treatment and eight pigs per pen. The trial duration was 28 days. The control (CTRL) diet contained no HP300; in treatments 2, 3 and 4, dried whey and fish meal were replaced by 3.0%, 7.5% and 10.5% HP300; in treatment 5, full fat extruded soybeans were replaced by 10.5% HP300 plus soybean oil to attain the same metabolic energy content as FFES. Five T-cannulated barrows were used in a digestibility trial with a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design to determine nitrogen retention and amino acid ileal digestibility of HP300 used alone or mixed with other ingredients. The results indicated that replacement of dried whey, fish meal, full fat extruded soybeans and a part of the soybean meal with HP300 in piglet diets improved average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05). There was a trend toward improved DM, crude protein and amino acid ileal digestibilities and improved protein and amino acid ileal digestibilities and improved protein net availability with the use of HP300 in swine diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.452-461
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• 2012

Four, ruminally fistulated crossbred (Brahman${\times}$native) beef cattle with initial body weight of $420{\pm}15kg$ were randomly assigned according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The dietary treatments were mulberry leaf pellet (MUP) supplementation at 0, 200, 400 and 600 g/hd/d with rice straw fed to allow ad libitum intake. All steers were kept in individual pens and supplemented with concentrate at 5 g/kg of body weight daily. The experiment was 4 periods, and each lasted 21 d. During the first 14 d, all steers were fed their respective diets ad libitum and during the last 7 d, they were moved to metabolism crates for total urine and fecal collection. It was found that increasing MUP levels resulted in linearly increasing rice straw and total intakes (p<0.05). Ruminal temperature and pH were not significantly affected by MUP supplementation while $NH_3$-N concentration was increased (p<0.05) and maintained at a high level (18.5 mg/dl) with supplementation of MUP at 600 g/hd/d. Similarly, viable total bacteria in the rumen and cellulolytic bacteria were enriched by MUP supplementation at 600 g/hd/d. However, the rumen microbial diversity determined with a PCR-DGGE technique showed similar methanogenic diversity between treatments and sampling times and were similar at a 69% genetic relationship as determined by a UPGMA method. Based on this study, it could be concluded that supplementation of MUP at 600 g/hd/d improved DM intake, ruminal $NH_3$-N, and cellulolytic bacteria thus iimproving rumen ecology in beef cattle fed with rice straw.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권10호
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• pp.1437-1445
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding increasing proportions of corn grain on concentration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the rumen fluid and the subsequent alterations in immune responses as reflected by plasma concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp) in goats. Nine goats were assigned to three diets (0%, 25%, and 50% corn grain) in a $3{\times}3$ Latin square experimental design. The results showed that as the proportion of dietary corn increased, the ruminal pH decreased (p<0.001), and the concentrations of propionate (p<0.001), butyrate (p<0.001), lactic acid (p = 0.013) and total volatile fatty acid (p = 0.031) elevated and the ruminal LPS level increased (p<0.001). As the proportion of dietary corn increased, the concentration of SAA increased (p = 0.013). LPS was detectable in the blood of individual goats fed 25% and 50% corn. A real-time PCR analysis showed that the copy number of phylum Bacteroidetes (p<0.001) was reduced ($4.61{\times}10^9$ copies/mL to $1.48{\times}10^9$ copies/mL) by the increasing dietary corn, and a correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the number of Bacteroidetes and rumen LPS levels. Collectively, these results indicated that feeding goats high proportions (50%) of corn grain decreased the ruminal pH, increased LPS in the rumen fluid and tended to stimulate an inflammatory response.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.904-907
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• 1999

The experiment was aimed at studying the effect of ruminal $NH_3-N$ levels on ruminal fermentation, microbial population, urinary purine derivative excretion, digestibility and rice straw intake in swamp buffaloes. Five, 3 to 4 years old, rumen fistulated swamp buffaloes were randomly assigned according to a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design to rceive five different intraruminal infusions of $NH_4HCO_3$ (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 g/d) on a continuous daily basis. Rice straw as a roughage was offered ad libitum while concentrate was given at 0.8% BW daily. The results were that as levels of $NH_4HCO_3$ increased, ruminal $NH_3-N$ concentrations increased from 7.1 to 34.4 mg%. The highest digestibility and voluntary straw intakes were found at 13.6 to 17.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$ levels; straw intake was highest at 13.6 mg%. Total bacterial and protozoal counts linearly increased as the ruminal $NH_3-N$ increased and were highest at 17.6 mg%. Total urinary purine derivatives and allantoin excretion were highest (44.0, 37.4 mM/d) at 17.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$. Highest total VFAs (115 mM) were obtained a 13.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$ while blood urea nitrogen significantly increased as ruminal $NH_3-N$ increased. The results from this experiment suggest that optimum ruminal $NH_3-N$ in swamp buffaloes is higher than 13.6 mg%, for improving rumen ecology, microbial protein synthesis, digestibility and straw intake.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제30권7호
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• pp.967-972
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• 2017

Objective: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of forage-to-concentrate (F:C) ratio on the nutrient digestibility and enteric methane ($CH_4$) emission in growing goats and Sika deer. Methods: Three male growing goats (body weight $[BW]=19.0{\pm}0.7kg$) and three male growing deer ($BW=19.3{\pm}1.2kg$) were respectively allotted to a $3{\times}3$ Latin square design with an adaptation period of 7 d and a data collection period of 3 d. Respiration-metabolism chambers were used for measuring the enteric $CH_4$ emission. Treatments of low (25:75), moderate (50:50), and high (73:27) F:C ratios were given to both goats and Sika deer. Results: Dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) digestibility decreased linearly with increasing F:C ratio in both goats and Sika deer. In both goats and Sika deer, the $CH_4$ emissions expressed as g/d, g/kg $BW^{0.75}$, % of gross energy intake, g/kg DM intake (DMI), and g/kg OM intake (OMI) decreased linearly as the F:C ratio increased, however, the $CH_4$ emissions expressed as g/kg digested DMI and OMI were not affected by the F:C ratio. Eight equations were derived for predicting the enteric $CH_4$ emission from goats and Sika deer. For goat, equation 1 was found to be of the highest accuracy: $CH_4(g/d)=3.36+4.71{\times}DMI(kg/d)-0.0036{\times}neutral$ detergent fiber concentrate (NDFC,g/kg)+$0.01563{\times}dry$ matter digestibility (DMD,g/kg)-$0.0108{\times}neutral$ detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD, g/kg). For Sika deer, equation 5 was found to be of the highest accuracy: $CH_4(g/d)=66.3+27.7{\times}DMI(kg/d)-5.91{\times}NDFC(g/kg)-7.11{\times}DMD(g/kg)+0.0809{\times}NDFD(g/kg)$. Conclusion: Digested nutrient intake could be considered when determining the $CH_4$ generation factor in goats and Sika deer. Finally, the enteric $CH_4$ prediction model for goats and Sika deer were estimated.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.46-52
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• 2000

Two experiments were conducted to determine ileal digestibilities for the amino acids contained in rapeseed meal using the regression technique and then applying the values obtained, in a growth trial, using growing-finishing pigs. For the digestibility trial, four 20 kg crossbred $(Yorkshire{\times}Landrace{\times}Beijing\;Black)$ barrows were fitted with simple T-cannula in the terminal ileum. After recovery, the barrows were fed one of four experimental diets according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square design. The pigs were fed corn-soybean meal based diets supplemented with 0, 25, 50 or 75% rapeseed meal. For the growth trial, 80 crossbred $(Yorkshire{\times}Landrace{\times}Beijing\;Black)$ growing pigs $(20{\pm}2.4kg)$ were fed corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with 0, 3, 6, 9 or 12% rapeseed meal. Four pens (2 gilts and 2 castrates) were assigned to each treatment. With the exception of isoleucine and methionine, the digestibility coefficients for the indispensible amino acids declined as the level of rapeseed meal in the diet increased. There was little agreement between the amino acid digestibilities determined with the regression technique and values previously published for rapeseed meal. During the growing (22-42 kg) period, the addition of rapeseed meal had no significant effects on gain, feed intake or feed conversion. During the finishing period (58-91 kg), daily gain was not affected by rapeseed meal inclusion but feed conversion declined (p<0.04) as the level of rapeseed meal in the diet increased.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.213-219
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• 2000

Two experiments were conducted to determine ileal digestibilities for the amino acids contained in sesame meal using the regression technique and then applying the values obtained in a growth trial using growing-finishing pigs. For the digestibility trial, four, 20 kg crossbred (Yorkshire $\times$ Landrace $\times$ Beijing Black) barrows were fitted with a simple T-cannula in the terminal ileum. After recovery, the barrows were fed one of four experimental diets according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square design. The pigs were fed corn-soybean meal based diets supplemented with 0, 25, 50 or 75 percent sesame meal. For the growth trial, 210 crossbred (Yorkshire $\times$ Landrace $\times$ Henan Min) growing pigs ($21.8{\pm}1.4kg$), were fed corn-soybean meal based diets supplemented with 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12% sesame meal. Three pens (7 gilts and 7 castrates) were assigned to each treatment. With the exception of arginine and phenylalanine, the digestibility coefficients for the indispensible amino acids declined as the level of sesame meal in the diet increased. There was little agreement between the amino acid digestibilities determined with the regression technique and values previously published for sesame meal determined with the direct method. Daily gain and feed conversion both declined (linear effect p=0.02 and 0.06 respectively) as the level of sesame meal in the diet increased.