Department of Animal Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004, India.
Online published on 21 January, 2012.
Eight adult male buffaloes, randomly distributed into 2 groups were used for a comparative metabolism trial with Keir boiling waste (KBW) or sodium hydroxids (NaOH) treated wheat straw as main roughage, supplemented daily with a fixed allowance of 1.5 kg concentrate mixture available and 2kg green fodder. The chemical composition of the two treated straws was comparable. The daily DM intake, nutrients digestibility, N-retention, efficiency of N-utilization and available ME from the 2 treated straw rations was not statistically different. These results showed that KBW effluent was suitable for improving the nutritive value of crop residues and had no adverse influence on the animal health or metabolism.
