• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.162-170
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• 1998

The dose response effects of different levels of wheat barn (WB) supplementation to a rice straw based diet has been studied in growing native (Bos indicus) bulls of Bangladesh. Twelve bulls of $266{\pm}29.6kg$ live weight and $32{\pm}9.5$ months old were given either of three diets of ad libitum untreated rice straw alone (T1) or straw supplemented with 2 (T2) or 3 (T3) kg WB. Besides, the experimental animals also received a mineral mixture. In 4 weeks, data were recorded on the intake, digestibility, microbial N (MN) yield, N balance (NB) and growth rate (GR). In the three diets, WB was 0 (T1), 29.6 (T2) and 42 (T3) percent of the total DM intake. With the increasing levels of WB supplementation, the total DM and OM intake increased, but the straw intake decreased linearly. WB supplementation increased the digestibilities of DM, OM and N but had no effect on ADF digestibility. The urinary purine derivative excretion and hence the MN yield increased with WB supplementation. The total MN yield were 7.26 and 35 g/d respectively for 0.2 and 3 kg WB supplementation. However, the efficiency of MN yield was highest (13 g/kg DOMR) at 2 kg WB level. Despite the increase DOM intake, the dietary ME content remain below 6 MJ/kg DM even at 3 kg WB supplementation. The NB were -84,467 and 1,620 mg/kg $W^{0.75}/d$ which were reflected on the GR of -186,346 and 554 g/d for 0, 2 and 3 kg WB supplementation respectively. Depending on the cost effectiveness, on an untreated rice straw diet, WB may be supplemented by up to 3 kg/d (42% of the diet) or more. However, if the maximum utilization of roughage is the main concern, the optimum WB level would probably be around 2 kg (30% of the diet) daily.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 1997

Six medium-framed steers, fitted with ruminal cannulas, were utilized in a $6{\times}6$ Latin square design with a $3{\times}2$ arrangement of treatments to determine the effects of sorghum hybrid and grain supplementation on nutrient digestibilities and passage rates and ruminal metabolism of silage-based diets fed to growing steers. The diets consisted of three wholes-plant silages (a high grain-containing, grain sorghum and middle-season, moderate grain-containing, and late-season, low grain-containing forage sorghums), each fed with or without 25% rolled grain sorghum. No significant interactions occurred between sorghum hybrid and grain supplementation for the digestion or passage rate criteria measured. Ruminal butyrate concentration was the only fermentation characteristic affected by a hybrid ${\times}$ grain supplementation interaction. The grain sorghum silage diets had the highest DM, OM, and ADF digestibilities; the late-season silage diets, the lowest. Digestibility of NDF tended to be highest (p < 0.10) for the grain sorghum silage, whereas starch digestibility was not affected by sorghum hybrid. Ruminal ammonia, acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total VFA concentrations were highest for the grain sorghum silage diets. Grain supplementation increased DM and OM digestibilities, but had no effect on digestibilities of NDF, ADF, and starch. Ruminal pH was decreased, but total VFA concentration and acetate : propionate ratio were not affected by grain supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1389-1396
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• 2007

Twelve swamp buffaloes and Brahman cattle heifers (6 animals each) were randomly assigned to two treatments, control (grazing only) and supplementation of cassava hay (CH) at 1-kg dry matter per head per day (DM/hd/d), in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement according to a cross-over design. The cassava hay contained a high level of protein (19.5% of DM) and a strategic amount of condensed tannins (4.0% of DM). As a result it was revealed that supplementation of CH at 1-kg DM/hd/d significantly (p<0.05) improved the nutrition of both swamp buffaloes and Brahman cattle in terms of DM, organic matter (OM), protein and energy intake and digestibility, ruminal NH3-N and rumen ecology. Supplementation significantly (p<0.05) reduced weight losses in both species and improved the health, in terms of reduced number of parasite eggs in feces (p<0.05), of both buffaloes and cattle. There tended to be a difference in term of response to CH between the two species. The DM, OM, protein intake and digestibility and total digestible energy intake tended to be higher for buffaloes as compared to cattle. Moreover, the percentage reduction of parasite eggs tended to be higher for buffaloes as compared to cattle (57.6 and 45.0%, respectively). However, there were no significant interactions between species and treatments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1449-1457
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• 2018

Objective: The objective was to evaluate feed intake, digestibility, body weight change and carcass characteristics of sheep fed a basal diet of hay supplemented with banana leaves and silver leaf desmodium. Methods: Thirty yearling lambs with an average initial body weight of $15.85{\pm}1.6kg$ were grouped into six blocks of five rams in each block. The treatments were: hay alone (T1), hay+100% banana leaf (T2), hay+67% banana leaf+33% desmodium leaf (T3), hay+33% banana leaf+67% desmodium leaf (T4), andhay+100% desmodium leaf (T5). Three hundred grams of treatment diets were offered daily on as fed basis. The feeding and digestibility trials lasted for 84 and 7 days, respectively, followed by carcass evaluation. Results: The total dry matter (DM) intake for T3, T4, and T5 were greater (p<0.05) than those fed T1 and T2 diets. The lowest (p<0.05) organic matter (OM) intake was recorded in rams reared on T1 diet. The total crude protein (CP) intake was in the following order: T5>T4>T3>T2>T1. Ram lambs receiving supplementary diets had higher (p<0.05) DM, OM, CP, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility compared with the control diet. The empty body weight and slaughter weight was highest (p<0.05) in rams receiving T3, T4, and T5 diets. The average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency was highest (p<0.05) in rams receiving the supplementary diets. The dressing percentage on the basis of hot carcass weight linearly increased with increasing levels of desmodium. Rams reared on supplementary diet had higher (p<0.05) rib eye area compared with the control diet. Conclusion: In conclusion, when banana leaf is used as a supplement to poor quality grass, better body weight gain was obtained when fed in combination with desmodium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2008

In vivo and in vitro digestibility of 6 diets with a forage to concentrate ratio (F/C) ranging from 100 to 50:50 (diet 1: all hay, diet 2: 90:10, diet 3: 80:20, diet 4: 70:30, diet 5: 60:40, diet 6: 50:50) were investigated using 6 buffaloes in a $6{\times}6$ Latin square design. For the in vivo trial, the individual faeces of buffaloes were collected 3 times per day for 7 days. Individual pooled faeces and samples of each diet were analysed for chemical composition and insoluble acid ash (AIA) contents in order to estimate the coefficient of apparent digestibility (ADC). On the last day of the in vivo trial a sample of faeces was collected from each animal and used as inoculum for the in vitro test, using the gas production technique (IVGPT). The in vivo organic matter digestibility (ADC) rose as the percentage of concentrate increased up to the 70:30 (F/C) diet (67.01, 73.03, 78.06 and 79.05, respectively for diets 1, 2, 3 and 4); the other two diets (60:40 and 50:50 F/C) unexpectedly did not follow this trend (75.11 and 79.06, respectively for diet 5 and 6). However, these data agree with the results of the in vitro trial. The ADC was positively correlated with the dOM (p<0.001), but not with the gas production at different times; cumulative gas production recorded at the end of incubation (OMCV) showed an irregular trend and was not closely correlated to degraded OM. Estimation of in vivo digestibility from in vitro fermentation data was acceptable, despite leaving room for improvement.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1975-1984
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• 2020

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effects of body weight (BW) and fiber sources on nutrient digestibility, fiber fermentation and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentration in different intestinal segments of growing pigs fed high-fiber diets. Methods: Nine barrows with initial BW of 25.17±0.73 kg and 9 barrows with initial BW of 63.47±2.18 kg were allotted to a duplicate 9×2 Youden Square design with 3 dietary treatments and 2 periods. The dietary treatments were formulated with 3 different high-fiber ingredients: corn bran, sugar beet pulp, and soybean hulls, respectively. Each diet was fed to 3 barrows with different stage of BW in each period. Results: There were no differences in the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of most nutrients between pigs at different BW stages. Pigs at 60 kg had greater (p<0.05) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of total dietary fiber (TDF), soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), and had greater (p<0.05) hindgut disappearance of IDF and cellulose than pigs at 25 kg. The acetate, propionate and total SCFA concentrations in ileal digesta and feces of pigs at 60 kg were greater (p<0.05) than those of pigs at 25 kg. In addition, fiber sources affected (p<0.05) the AID of gross energy (GE), organic matter (OM), ether extract (EE), crude protein, SDF and hemicellulose, the hindgut disappearance and ATTD of dietary fiber components, the lactate and propionate concentrations in ileal digesta and the butyrate, valerate and total SCFA concentrations in feces. There were interactions (p<0.05) between BW and fiber sources on the AID of GE, OM, EE, SDF, hemicellulose, the ATTD of EE, TDF, and IDF, and the hindgut disappearance of SDF and hemicellulose. Conclusion: Increasing BW mainly improved the digestibility of dietary fiber fractions, and the dietary fiber sources influenced the digestibility of almost all the dietary nutrients in growing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.549-558
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• 1992

The study on the potential use of pigeon pea (PP) as a ruminant feed was carried out with sheep in 3 experiments. Digestibility of dry pigeon pea leaves (PPL) and pigeon pea seeds (PPS) determined by differential and regression methods respectively, with rice straw (RS) as a basal diet, revealed that PPS contained higher nutritive value and palatability than PPL. On dry matter (DM) basis, PPL and PPS contained 19.8 and 20.0% CP, 7.3 and 2.3% EE, 6.0 and 4.4% ash, 61.1 and 51.7% NDF, and 29.4 and 17.5% ADF, respectively. The trypsin inhibitor activity in the seed was 3 times of that in the leaves (19.5 vs 7.0 mg TIA/g DM). The digestibility of PPL and PPS were 50.2 and 72.2% in DM, 52.7 and 73.3% in OM, 51.0 and 65.1% in CP respectively. DM intake as well as the digestibility of most nutrients increased with the increasing level of PPS. Digestible energy (DE), Total digestible nutrient (TDN) and N-balance of sheep fed solely PPS, estimated by regression method, was 3.2 kcal/g, 71.1% and 6.3 g/d respectively. Pigeon pea seeds can be well used to substitute soybean meal in concentrate rations for ruminants or directly supplemented to low quality roughages.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 1992

Twelve male crossbred calves of 18 months of age were divided into two groups of six each. Animals in both the groups were fed wheat straw ad lib. However, animals in group II had free access to urea molasses mineral block (UMMB) lick. Straw DM intake (kg/100 kg B. Wt. and $g/w^{0.75}\;kg$) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in group II ($1.95{\pm}0.06$; $75.55{\pm}1.79$) as compared to group I ($1.27{\pm}0.08$; $48.77{\pm}2.43$). Straw DM digestibility coefficient was not significantly different in groups I and II. However, DOMI (kg/100 kg B. Wt.) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in group II ($0.986{\pm}0.05$) as compared to group I ($0.615{\pm}0.03$). Digestibility coefficient of DM, OM and CP were significantly higher in group II as compared to group I. However, digestibility coefficients of EE, CF and NFE were non-significantly different between the two groups. Animals in group II exhibited significantly (p < 0.01) higher and positive N, Ca and P balances as compared to group I which exhibited negative balances. Total-N, ammonia-N and urea-N in the blood plasma of animals in group II were significantly (p < 0.01) higher as compared to group I.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2005

Four male crossbred beef steers about 2 years old were used in a 4$\{times}$4 Latin square design to investigate the effect of pelleted sugarcane tops on voluntary feed intake, rumen fermentation and digestibility of nutrients. Experimental treatments were; Control (dried-chopped sugarcane tops (DCST)); PS1 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 1 cm of diameter); PS2 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 2 cm of diameter) and PS3 (Pelleted sugarcane tops at 3 cm of diameter). Roughage intake and total dry matter intake were 1.59, 1.62, 1.61, 1.63% BW and 2.09, 2.12, 2.11 and 2.13% BW in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3 treatments, respectively (p<0.05). Digestibility of DM, OM and CP were similar in control and PS3 treatment but there was significant difference (p<0.05) between control and PS1, PS2 treatments. Digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were 52.89, 50.01, 50.05 and 50.56% and 41.91, 39.96, 39.91 and 39.69% in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3, respectively (p<0.05). Total volatile fatty acids concentrations in rumen contents was 67.68, 65.93, 66.15 and 66.67 mM in control, PS1, PS2 and PS3, respectively (p<0.05). Even though, concentrations of acetate and butyrate (%) were significant different (p<0.05) but concentration of propionate (%) was not affected by treatments (p>0.05). Rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen and plasma urea nitrogen were significantly different (p<0.05) among treatments. From this experiment, it was found that dried-chopped sugarcane tops increased digestibility of nutrients whereas pelleted sugarcane tops increased feed intake in beef cattle. However, pelleted sugarcane tops at 3 cm of diameter did similar result in digestibility and rumen parameters with DCST. Therefore, it could be concluded that pelleting sugarcane top is an alternative way to improve the quality of sugarcane tops for use as ruminant roughage source.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1587-1593
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• 2010

Pastures of the Apennines of Central Italy contribute to feed resources of high altitude (above 1,300 m sea level) grazing systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of faecal extract from the yak (Bos grunnienes) as an alternative microbial inoculum to rumen fluid for estimation of digestibility of several forage species. Forage samples produced at high altitude were tested in this study: four legumes (Lathyrus sativus L., Lotus corniculatus L., Onobrychis viciaefolia L. and Trifolium pratense L.), three forbs (Achillea millefolium L., Potentilla reptans L. and Teucrium flavum L.) and one grass (Brachipodyum pinnatum L.) were incubated with yak rumen fluid or faecal extract. A large variability in chemical composition was observed among the species collected. Rumen liquor and faecal samples were collected from adult healthy yak. The $Daisy^{II}$ incubator was used to evaluate the nutrient digestibility of forages using rumen liquor as control and faecal extract as alternative microbial inoculum sources. Filter bags containing samples of browse species were added to the four digestion vessels along with their respective inoculum and then incubated for 48 h and dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral and detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility was determined. There was a significant relationship between estimates, indicating that faecal liquor has the potential to be used instead of rumen fluid for estimation of in vitro digestibility of plants. It is concluded that the $Daisy^{II}$ incubator results are appropriate for the determination of in vitro digestibility of nutrients using faecal liquor to define the potential for adaptation of yak to new pastures.