Department of Animal Nutrition Postgraduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Akola- 444 104 (MS). (Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur).
Feeding value of urea treated sugarcane bagasse was assessed in goat kids for evaluation of nutrient utilization, rumen fermentation and blood biochemical characteristics. Twelve non-descript goat kids (112 ± 0.8 d age and 10.5 ± 0.05 kg body weight) were randomly allotted in two groups and fed for 90 days. One group was fed green tree leaves (control group; T0), while another group (T1) was fed urea treated sugarcane bagasse based pelleted complete ration (roughage to concentrate ratio 50:50). The DMI/100 kg body weight was 4.36 ± 0.13 and 4.87 ± 0.07 kg in T0 and T1, respectively. The ADG for the respective group was 44.37 and 68.73 g. The feed conversion efficiency was 10.78 ± 0.59 (T0) and 8.57 ± 0.50 (T1). The nutrient digestibility was similar between two nutrients except for CP and EE. The DCP and TDN (%) contents were 6.61 ± 0.25 and 52.26 ± 1.32 in T0 and 8.17 ± 0.31 and 59.45 ± 2.52 in T1 group, respectively. Goats in both the groups were in positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance. Rumen metabolites and blood biochemical parameters improved (P< 0.01) in T1 animals due to urea treated bagasse feeding. It is concluded that urea treated sugarcane bagasse based complete pellet diet improves performance, rumen fermentation and blood biochemical characteristics, hence could be use for goat feeding.
Goats, Feed pellets, Sugarcane bagasse, Urea treatment
