Digestibility and Availability of Nutrients from Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide Treated Wheat Straw and Maize Stover in Male Buffalo Calves

Twelve male buffalo calves were used to study the effect of feeding alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treated wheat straw and maize stover in vivo. The animals (2 1/2 and 1 yr for trials 1 and 2) were divided into three egoups with control (T₁) fed on untreated straws, T₂, AHP treated and T₃, urea-fermented-AHP. In T₂ the respective crop residues were treated with 1% H O solution containing 4.2% NaOH In Straw: AHP ratio of 1:2 for 6h at room temperature. In T₃, urea fermentation (3.5% urea, 40% moisture and 9d stacking) was followed by treatment as in T₂. Group T₁ had significantly (P<0.05) higher DM intake than in T₂ and T₃ but the DM and OM digestibilities in T₂ and T₃ were significantly higher (P<0.05) in both crop residues due to delignification of the crop residues by AHP treatment, however variation between T₂ and T₃ treatments were nonsignificant. The CP digestibility in T₂ treatment was significantly lower than in T₁ but in maize stover it was higher in T₂ and T₃ as compared to T₁ even at lower N Intake. Significantly (P<0.05) higher CF, ADF, NDF and cellulose digestibilities in T₂ and T₃ than T₁ were comparable for both the crop residues. Lower nitrogen intake resulted in decreased nitrogen retention in wheat straw but not in maize stover based diet.