Effect of sugarcane bagasse and formaldehyde treated mustard cake in complete feed block on in-sacco degradability

In a wheat straw based complete feed block (CF₁, roughage: concentrate 60:40 manufactured at 3000 psi, 30 sec dwell time), 40 percent of its WS was replaced with sugarcane bagasse (SB) (CF₂) and formaldehyde treated mustard cake of feed block CF₂ was replaced with untreated cake (CF₃). Effect of these three types of feed blocks on in-sacco degradability and fiber digestion kinetics were studied. DM and OM disappearance increased (P<0.01) as the incubation time proceeded from 6 to 96h. DM and OM disappearance of CF₁ at 48h incubation was higher (P<0.05) than that of CF₃, however, difference between CF₂ and CF₃ or CF₁ and CF₂ was not significant. Average DM disappearance of CF₁, irrespective of incubation time, was higher (P<0.01) than those of CF₂ and CF₃ feeds. Difference between DM disappearance of CF₃ and CF₂ was also significant. However, partial replacement of WS with SB or complete replacement of untreated cake with protected cake in complete feed did not affect the OM disappearance significantly, and OM disappearance was reduced (P<0.01) as a result of combined affect of SB and protected protein in complete feed. Highest effective and potential DM degradability (EDMD and PDMD) was recorded for CF followed by those having SB with unprotected (CF₂) and protected protein supplement (CF₃) and the variation among feeds was significant (P<0.01). The trend for EOMD was similar to that recorded for EDMD. Lag time of NDF digestion was comparable in all the groups. Digestion rate of NDF in complete feeds was not influenced by incorporation of SB as well as protected protein in complete feed. Potential and apparent extent of NDF digestion were highest (P<0.01) in CF₁ followed by CF₂ and lowest for CF₃.