National Milch Herd Division, National Dairy Development Board, Anand-388 001, India
Online published on 21 January, 2012.
Incorporation of different levels of concentrate mixture to urea molasses mineral block (UMMB) and rice straw feeding on ruminal volume, fermentation pattern and digesta flow rate was tested in two replications on 4 rumen fistulated male buffalo calves. The concentrate mixture was incorporated at 4 different levels of maintenance needs i.e., nil (T1), 30% (T2), 70% (T3) and 100% (T4). Both total N and NH3-N concentrations in SRL were highest in T4 and lowest in T1 whereas they were similar in T2 and T3. No difference was observed in TCA precipitable-N. Total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentration was high in T3 and T4 groups compared to other groups. Neither the ruminal volume nor the digesta flow rate were found to be influenced by treatments, The results suggested that incorporation of concentrate mixture to the level of 70% of maintenance needs was sufficient for optimum metabolic activities in the rumen.
