This study assessed the chemical composition and degradation of in situ predominant feed resources for ruminants in the marginal uplands of Inopacan,Leyte, Philippines. These feed resources included basal grasses such as guinea (Panicum maximum), humidicola (Brachiaria humidicola), and carabao grass (Axonopus compressus); supplemental legumes such as calopo (Calopogonium muconoides), madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium) and centro (Centrocema pubescens); foliages of trees/shrubs such as jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophylum Lamk) and abgaw (Premna odorata); and concentrates such as rice bran (D2) and squeezed grated coconut. Chemical analyses followed standard procedures, while trial was done by in situ incubating the feed samples in rumen-cannulated steer fed 70% basal/grass and 30% of the supplements. Crude protein (CP) contents were 15.83 to 18.23% in legumes,10.17 to 11.91% in tree foliages, 5.16 to 8.51% in grasses, and 4.84 to 6.08% in concentrates on as-fed basis. Gross energy (GE) contents were high–5097kcal/kg in grated coconut (highest) and 2931 kcal/kg in humidicola grass (lowest). Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents were low, ranging from 0.004 to 0.189% Ca and 0.026 to 0.037% P. Considering animal requirements, these indicated a potential adequacy in GE supply but a limitation in protein and Ca and P in marginal uplands. Dry matter degradation (DMD) was high in grated coconut, abgaw, calopo and madre de cacao (77.86 to 86.51%) among the supplements and in carabao grass (71.11%) of the basal, and low in humidicola and rice bran D2 (46.52 to 47.51%). Crude protein degradation (CPD) was highest in abgaw, calopo, madre de cacao, jackfruit and grated coconut (86.87 to 90.97%), moderate in guinea and carabao grasses and rice bran D2 (61.28 to 64.01%), and low in centro and humidicola (57.46 to 59.63%). Quantitatively, and across chemical composition and in situ degradation, the feeding of humidicola grass, centro legume, and rice bran D2 is least recommended.

An In vivo experiment was conducted to assess the effects of live yeast supplementation on the performance of six-month-old young goats. Specifically, it investigated the effects of cultured yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) supplementation of the dry matter intake, growth performance, fluctuation in ruminal fluid pH and rumen bacterial count, as well as on the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein of the napier grass-concentrate ration. The addition of cultured yeast at two grams/ 10 mL distilled water generally increased dry matter intake and weight gain of the young goats, but did not significantly affected bacterial count and ruminal fluid pH. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein of the napier grass-concentrate ration increased with the addition of cultured yeast. Yeast supplementation of one gram/ 10 mL distilled water enhaced nutrient intake and utilization of the napier grass-concentrate ration.

This study aimed to assess the effects of different levels of Trichanthera gigantea leaf meal (TGLM) supplementation on the growth performance of Philippine Native chickens fed commercial chicken grower ration. A total of 96 three-month old native chickens of two sexes were randomly distributed to the four treatments with 3 replicates and 4 chickens per replicate in a 2 x 4 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Under semi-confinement system, the dietary treatments consisted of 0, 5, 10, and 15% levels of TGLM supplementation for 13 weeks. Results revealed that cumulative voluntary feed intake (VFI) increased as TGLM supplementation increased, and was significantly highest with 15% level at weeks 10, 11 and 12. Although differences were not significant except at weeks 4 and 7, there was a decreasing trend in cumulative weight gain (CWG) with increasing TGLM level. Average daily gain (ADG) was not significantly affected by varying levels of TGLM supplementation, and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) showed a decreasing trend as TGLM level increased and was only significantly low (p<0.01) with 15% level at week 7. Comparing between sexes, the males were significantly higher than females in all production performance parameters. Therefore, TGLM is palatable but not adequate enough to supply the nutrients needed for a comparable weight gain with that of 0% supplementation, and a 5 10% inclusion in the diet is recommended.

No abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of formaldehyde, heat, and tannic acid treatments of madre de agua leaf meal (MALM) in reducing the degradation of dry matter (DMD) and crude protein (CPD) in the rumen for increased supply of bypass protein at the intestinal level. The experiment utilized a rumen-fistulated Brahman bull fed with chopped Napier grass soilage (basal diet) and MALM (test diet) at 70:30 basal:test diet ratio. Nylon bags (porosity of ±53μm) containing the treated MALM were incubated in the rumen for 24, 48 and 72 hours following the “sequential addition” method forin situ degradation measurement. Results showed that DMD of MALM was significantly reduced by formaldehyde treatment after 24-h and 48-h period of incubation than the untreated. This was followed by tannic acid treatment, though the reduction was significant only after 48-h incubation than the untreated. At 72-h period of incubation, DMD remained to be significantly lowest with formaldehyde treatment than the untreated or heat and tannic acid treatments. A similar pattern of differences in DMD rate (%/h) was observed as that of DMD (%). The CPD of MALM was also significantly reduced with formaldehyde treatment after 24-h incubation than the untreated. At 48-h incubation, all treatment methods showed significant protection of protein in MALM over that of the untreated. At 72h, formaldehyde and heat treatments significantly reduced the CPD of MALM compared to the untreated. A similar pattern of differences in CPD rate (%/h) was observed as that of CPD (%). Among treatment methods, the use of formaldehyde is the best, followed by tannic acid treatment, in achieving rumen bypass and promoting greater amino acid supply at the intestinal level.