Effect of Feeding Wheat Straw Treated with Different Levels of Urea on the Flow Mate of Digesta and Non-Ammonia Nitrogen at Abomasum in Buffaloes

Wheat straw treated with 4% (T₁), 5% (T₂) and 6% (T₃) levels of urea at 40% moisture and incubated for 30 d for ensiling was fed to 3 Mairrah buffaloes, each fitted with rumen and abomasal cannulae for 30 d In a 3 x 3 Latin square design. On the Sast 3 d of each trial, flow rate of dlgestu at abomasum was measured using chromium mordented fibre intrara-minally. N content of the straw increased with the increase in the level of urea used for straw treatment. The digestibilities for DM, OM, NDF, ADF, cellulose and hemicellulose upto abomasum did not vary significantly among the treatments. However, a significant (P<0.05) difference was observed with respect to flow rate of non-ummonia-N (NAN) at abomasum, the values being, 13.78±1.22, 24.50±438 and 36.50±.2.89 g/d and 6.47±0.21, 12.04±438 and 15.66±1.10 g/kg DM digested up to abomasum, for the treatments T₁, T₂ and T₃ respectively. The results Indicated that by increasing the level of urea in the straw treatment, there was a corresponding increase in the flow rate of NAN at abomasum, which was a reflection of a higher microbial protein synthesised in the rumen and its availability at abomasum.