The effect of supplementation of legume straws on utilisation of rice straw-poultry droppings-rice bran-fish meal based diet in buffaloes

The study characterized the degradability of blackgram (BG), greengram (GG) and redgram (RG; Pigeon pea) straws and the effect of supplementing these straws on the degradability of rice straw, voluntary feed intake, nutrient utilisation and rumen fermentation pattern. The experiment was conducted using four ruminally cannulated Murrah (Bubalus bubalis) bulls (235.6 ± 0.9 kg) in a 4 × 4 latin-square design. Bulls were fed a poultry droppings-molasses-rice bran-fish meal supplement (1910 g) and ad libitum rice straw alone (control diet) or supplemented with 1000 g of legume straws (BG, GG and RG diets). BG straw had higher potential (a + b) and rate (c) of degradability followed by GG and RG. Supplementation of BG, GG or RG straw increased (P < 0.05) the rate of degradability of rice straw over that of control diet. BG and GG straw supplementation increased the total dry matter (DM) intake compared to that in animals fed control diet. Supplementation with BG straw increased the protein digestibility (P < 0.10), nutritive value of the diet, N retention and rumen ammonia-N concentration (P < 0.05). It is concluded that BG straw is efficient in enhancing the nutritive value of rice straw-poultry droppings-based diet.