2Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Science, Sri Venkateshwara Veterinary University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad
Department of Microbiology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad-500 007 (A.P.) India.
1 Corresponding author: Y. Ramana Reddy, Tel.: +91 040 20022188 e-mail address: ramanayr19@yahoo.co.in
A straw based complete diet (12% CP) with 0.0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 per cent level of thermo, acid, osmo and bile tolerant yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiaeOBV-9) was evaluated in a 4×4 Latin Square design with four fistulated Murrah buffalo steers (223.81 kg±2.91) to study the rumen fermentation pattern in order to find out optimum level of inclusion. Total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) concentration and pH of the rumen liquor were similar among complete diets supplemented with or without yeast. Whereas, ammonia nitrogen concentration was significantly (P<0.05) lower and TCA insoluble nitrogen concentration was significantly (P<0.05) higher on diets supplemented with different levels of yeast as compared to control diet. It was thus, concluded that inclusion ofS. cerevisiae OBV-9 at 0.1 per cent in straw based complete diet could be the optimum level for buffalo steers of 220 kg body weight.
Thermotolerant yeast, Complete diet, Rumen fermentation pattern, Buffalo steers
