Digestibility of Nutrients in Equus asinus during Work and Rest

The digestibility cum metabolic trial was conducted on 6 adult large white donkeys during rest and work for a period of 7 days. In rest experiment, donkeys were under rest without work whereas in work experiment same animals were engaged for work (2 hr day⁻¹). The donkeys were offered chopped Sorghum straws adlibitum and concentrate mixture @ 1 kg day⁻¹ donkey⁻¹. During rest and work, the digestibility of nutrients such as Dry Matter, Crude Protein, Crude Fiber, Nitrogen Free Extract and Ether Extract were 55.18±0.57 & 62.53±0.89; 64.65±0.46 & 67.43±0.42; 56.20±0.78 & 62.87±0.52; 63.58±0.69 & 67.31±0.98 and 33.58±1.53 & 37.78±0.71 respectively which are statistically significant. Higher digestibility of nutrients was recorded in donkeys during work in comparison to that of donkeys in rest. During work experiments, work parameters viz. speed (km hr⁻¹) was 3.11±0.06; draft (kg), 52.71±1.54; water discharge (kl hr⁻¹), 2.48±0.05 and power output (hp), 0.57±0.01. The work was stopped when the fatigue score reached 18.0 which was the indication of fatigueness. There was no weight loss in working donkeys after a period of 7 days work suggesting that the diet provided to the donkeys was sufficient to take care of energy requirement during work. The results suggest that donkey being a monogastric animal, is able to utilize fibrous diet like ruminants.