Nutrient utilization by Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) from compressed complete feed blocks

Twelve Murrah male buffaloes of 3.5 years age, weighing 370.3 ± 8.41 kg were assigned to three diets in different physical forms with similar ingredient composition comprising of wheat straw, sugarcane molasses, crushed maize, deoiled peanut meal, mineral mixture, sea salt along with vitablend @ 690, 100, 100, 100, 6,4 and 0.2 g kg−1, respectively in a randomized block design. The animals on Diet 1 received wheat straw impregnated with molasses and concentrate mixture separately, while those on Diet 2 were fed the total feed as a complete mix. Diet 3 was offered after moulding complete mix into a compressed complete feed block (CCFB), prepared with the help of indigenously designed and fabricated feed block machine operable on compression technology. A metabolism trial of seven days duration was conducted after 60 days feeding trial in order to assess nutrient utilization and retention as well as plane of nutrition. ysical form of the diet had no significant influence on nutrient utilization as well as on the digestibility of various nutrients. But feeding of CCFB resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) higher intake of DM and digestible DM and in turn in the intake of all other nutrients as compared to the feeding of diets in other two ways. Though, daily nitrogen retention was not affected, the feeding of CCFB diet resulted in higher (P < 0.05) retention of calcium and phosphorus. Thus, CCFB would be a balanced wholesome diet for ruminants. Because of a decrease in the bulk density, the handling, storage and transportation becomes easy and economical. Further, they can be a part of famine feed banks for drought prone regions of developing countries as evolved technology is easy to adapt.