Relationship Between Buffering Capacity and Chemical Composition of Poultry Feedstuffs

Five samples each of maize, deoiled rice bran, rice polish, wheat bran, soybean meal, limestone and dicalcium phosphate were collected from various sources and their proximate analysis was done. Each sample was grinded and suspended in distilled water and shaken with magnetic stirrer. The pH was recorded using a magnetic stirrer and the amount of 0.1 M HCl required to reduce the pH of the sample to 5 was measured as its B-value. pH and B-value were compared with the crude protein and ash content of the sample. The results showed that ingredients with high protein content had high B-value. B-value for lime stone and dicalcium phosphate were the highest. Knowing the B-value of the ingredients the B-value of the diet can be calculated.