• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1991

Nutrient evaluation of sago fibre showed that the fibre has potential and could be utilized as feed for ruminants. However, as a source of nutrients, it has limitations arising from low intake, digestibility, crude protein and minerals content. The present study showed that the sago fibre is low in crude protein (3.3%) and high in neutral detergent fibre (72.5%) and acid detergent lignin (25.8%) contents. Treatment of sago fibre with urea increased the crude protein content from 3.3 to 16.7%. Both urea and sodium hydroxide treatment decreased the neutral detergent fibre level from 72.5 to 59 and 56.5%, respectively. Rumen degradation of sago fibre by nylon bag showed that both urea and sodium hydroxide treatments increased dry matter and organic matter disappearance of the fibre significantly. In vivo digestibility of 2% urea treated sago fibre was 47.5% and intake of the fibre was 1.57% of body weight of the lamb.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1996

In this Experiment three wether male Matou goats (♂), all fitted with permanent rumen fistulae, were used to study the rumen degradabilities (incubation time 48h) of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent ligin (ADL), cellulose (CEL) and hemicellulose (HC) and their contents of wheat and rice straws were determined for the different morphological fractions and segments. The results showed that the variation of different fractions for wheat and rice straw is the true resources of their nutritive value variation and the cell wall contents of wheat and rice straw are also obviously different. The rumen degradabilities of different straw fibre are significantly different (p<0.01), mean while the effect of straw variety is also significant (p<0.05). The aim was to set up a foundation for studying the rumen degradation of the roughage resources.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.82-91
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• 2019

Objective: This experiment was conducted to compare the structure and composition of ruminal microorganisms in goats with high and low neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility. Methods: Nineteen crossbred goats were used as experimental animals and fed the same total mixed rations during the 30-day pre-treatment and 6-day digestion trialperiods. All faeces were collected during the digestion period for measuring the NDF digestibility. Then, high and the low NDF digestibility individuals were chosen for the high NDF digestibility group (HFD) and low NDF digestibility group (LFD), respectively. Rumen contents were collected for total microbial DNA extraction. The V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified using universal primers of bacteria and sequenced using high-throughput sequencer. The sequences were mainly analysed by QIIME 1.8.0. Results: A total of 18,694 operational taxonomic units were obtained, within 81.98% belonged to bacteria, 6.64% belonged to archaea and 11.38% was unassigned microorganisms. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant microbial phyla in both groups. At the genus level, the relative abundance of fifteen microorganisms were significantly higher (p<0.05) and six microorganisms were extremely significantly higher (p<0.01) in LFD than HFD. Overall, 176 core shared genera were identified in the two groups. The relative abundance of 2 phyla, 5 classes, 10 orders, 13 families and 15 genera had a negative correlation with NDF digestibility, but only the relative abundance of Pyramidobacter had a positive correlation with NDF digestibility. Conclusion: There were substantial differences in NDF digestibility among the individual goats, and the NDF digestibility had significant correlation with the relative abundance of some ruminal microorganisms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.159-164
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• 1992

The present study was done to examine whether inoculated and established bacteria in the digestive tract of germ-free (GF) chickens affect growth performance, energy availability, nitrogen utilization and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility of the host bird fed a high-fibre diet. Gnotobiotic (GB) chicks were made from GF birds by co-inoculating with Ruminococcus albus, and Staphylococcus warneri, only the latter of which was established in the chicken gut. No difference was detected among conventional (CV), GF and GB birds in body weight gain, food intake or food efficiency from 7 to 21 d of age. The amount of nitrogen retained was larger in CV than in GF and GB chicks. DE and ME values of the diet and NDF digestibility were higher in CV birds than in GF and GB counterparts. It was concluded, therefore, that the established bacterium S. warneri did not give any beneficial effects on the host bird as judged by growth performance, energy availability, nitrogen utilization, and NDF digestibility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1277-1284
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• 1999

Eight feeds and their residues left after washing with tap water (water residue) or incubation in the rumen (rumen residues) were treated with hydrochloric acid, neutral detergent solution without EDTA (NDS) or both, and the release or sorption of minerals (Ca, Mg, P, Na, K, Cu and Zn) assessed. Six of the feeds were from Sri Lanka (Panicum maximum ecotype Guinea A, Glyricidia maculate, Artocarpus heterophyllus (jak leaves), untreated and urea-treated rice straw, and rice bran) and two from the Netherlands (maize silage and wheat straw). The initial concentration of mineral elements, the concentration of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and the type of feed significantly influenced (p<0.01). The proportion of the mineral elements released or sorbed. In general, feeds with high NDF content (straws and guinea grass) sorbed Ca from tap water, or released less in the rumen, and within these feeds the extent of sorption varied with source of fibre. Acid or NDS treatment removed little of the sorbed Ca, but they removed much of the Mg from both water and rumen residues. Fibres of wheat straw and jak leaves showed an affinity for Mg in the rumen. All feeds and their water and rumen residues sorbed P and Na from NDS, and the extent of sorption varied with the initial concentrations of these elements and with the type of fibre. Acid treatment removed part of the sorbed Na, but not the P. The solubility of K was not affected by the content of NDF, the type of fibre or the initial concentration of K. All feeds and their residues, except for the rumen residues of rice bran sorbed Cu from tap water and in the rumen. The recovery of Cu in rumen residues declined from 353% to 147% after NDS treatment, and with some feeds (glyricidia and jak leaves) the recovery was below 100%. Acid treatment removed part of the Zn sorbed by the water and rumen residues, but the capacity of residues to retain Zn varied with the type of feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.747-751
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• 1999

The Hohenheim in vitro gas test was used to assess the nutritional value of some crop residues of known in vivo digestibility. The crop residues are groundnut shells (GNS) corn cobs (CC); cassava peels (CaP); unripe and ripe plantain peels (UPP, RPP) and citrus pulp/peels (CPP). Compared to other crop residues, crude protein (CP) content of CC was low. Except for CaP and CPP that had low neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF), other residues contained a high amount of cell wall constituents. Net gas production was significantly different among the crop residues (p<0.05). Gas production was highest in CPP followed by CaP. CC, UPP and RPP have the same volume of net gas production, while the least net gas production was in GNS. True dry matter (TDM) digestibility was significantly different (p<0.05) among the residues. GNS was the least in TDM digestibility. CaP, UPP and RPP had similar TDM digestibility values, while the highest TDM digestibility was obtained in CPP. OM digestibility was different among the residues (p<0.05). CaP and CPP had the same ME value while CC, UPP and RPP had close ME values and GNS the least in ME (p<0.05). The potential extent (b) and rate (c) of gas production were statistical different among the residues (p<0.05). The Hohenheim gas test gave high in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility for CC, CaP, UPP and RPP and CPP. Fermentable carbohydrates and probably available nitrogen in the crop residues influenced net gas production. The results showed that crop residues besides, providing bulk are also a source of energy and fermentable products which could be used in ruminant livestock production in the tropics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.439-440
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• 1989

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1419-1426
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• 2015

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ratio of non-fibrous carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre (NFC/NDF) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on rumen fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in lambs. Four $Dorper{\times}thin-tailed$ Han crossbred lambs, averaging $62.3{\pm}1.9kg$ of body weight and 10 mo of age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments of combinations of two levels of NFC/NDF (1.0 and 1.7) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of crude protein [CP]). Duodenal nutrient flows were measured with dual markers of Yb and Co, and microbial N (MN) synthesis was estimated using $^{15}N$. High UDP decreased organic matter (OM) intake (p = 0.002) and CP intake (p = 0.005). Ruminal pH (p<0.001), ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$; p = 0.008), and total volatile fatty acids (p<0.001) were affected by dietary NFC/NDF. The ruminal concentration of $NH_3-N$ was also affected by UDP (p<0.001). The duodenal flow of total MN (p = 0.007) was greater for lambs fed the high NFC/NDF diet. The amount of metabolisable N increased with increasing dietary NFC:NDF (p = 0.02) or UDP (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the diets with high NFC/NDF (1.7) and UDP (50% of CP) improved metabolisable N supply to lambs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.687-693
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• 1992

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) supplementation on the voluntary intake of rice straw and ruminal fermentation characteristics. Balance trials were conducted with three Hapanese Corriedale wethers fed a rice straw alone (control), rice straw supplemented with 75 and 150 g of SBM/day in a $3{\times}3$ latin square design. Voluntary intake of rice straw in sheep fed both levels of SBM supplemented diets was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that in sheep fed control diet. Crude protein digestibility was significantly increased (p<0.05), but organic matter, crude fibre, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibilities were not affected by SBM supplementation. Nitrogen balance was positive in sheep on both levels of SBM supplemented diets, but negative in animals on the control diet. Rumen ammonia and blood urea-nitrogen concentrations increased (p<0.05) as increasing level of SBM. Total volatile fatty acids, acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate concentrations in rumen fluid were also significantly increased (p<0.01), but ruminal pH was decreased (p<0.05) by SBM supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.474-478
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• 2001

Eighteen Murrah male buffalo calves were allotted into three groups of six each. The calves in group I (control) were fed with whole milk, skim milk, calf starter and green maize fodder. The calves in group II (high butyric acid) and group III (low butyric acid) were fed with the same diet as control along with 24 ml and 12 ml of butyric acid/calf/day for 120 days, respectively for 120 days. Dry matter intake was higher in group II and III as compared with group I. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose was the highest in group II followed by group III and the control group. Body weight gain and conversion efficiency of dry matter, digestible crude protein and total digestible nutrients were better in group II. Cost of feed for per unit of live weight gain was the lowest in group II. It was concluded that dietary addition of butyric acid (24 ml/day) was economical and had positive effect on the performance of Murrah buffalo calves.