SUMMARYFour young females of four ruminant species, namely cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat, were fed, in chopped form, a mixture of species of dry grass (Apluda aristata and Themada quadvivalvis; 3·85% crude protein) during a 28-day experimental period. Voluntary intake of grass was determined during the last 10 days and digestibility of feed nutrients during the last 6 days.The digestibility coefficients of dry matter (D.M.) and crude fibre were higher for goats than other species, of organic matter, crude protein (CP) and ether extract were higher for goats and sheep than cows and buffaloes and of nitrogen-free extract higher for goats than cows and buffaloes and for sheep and buffaloes than cows. The daily intake of D.M., digestible CP and total digestible nutrients (TDN) is discussed in relation to body weight (BW) and kg W0·75.Dry grass fed with mineral and vitamin supplement was adequate to sustain the body weights of buffaloes and goats but not of cows and sheep. Buffaloes utilized the dry grass better than other species as is evident from the highest feed and TDN intakes and marginal gain in weight.

SUMMARYFour young females of four ruminant species, namely cow, buffalo, sheep and goat were used to study the utilization of sun-cured berseem hay (20·6% CP) fed in long form during a 28-day experimental period. Voluntary intake of hay was estimated during the last 10 days and digestibility of feed nutrients and nitrogen balance during the last 6 days.The digestibility coefficients of dry matter (D.M.), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE) and nitrogen-free extract were higher for sheep and goat than for cow and buffalo but such differences were significant for D.M., OM and CP only. The daily D.M. intake was 3·56, 3·17, 0·92 and 0·63 kg/animal and 82·5, 81·2, 70·4 and 65·1 g/kg W0.75 in buffalo, cow, sheep and goat, respectively, but intake of total digestible nutrients (TDN) relative to metabolic body size was similar for all species.Buffalo was superior to the other three species and cow to sheep and goat in ability to retain nitrogen. Berseem hay fed ad libitum supported a daily gain of 742, 500, 71 and 31 g in young female buffaloes, cows, sheep and goats, respectively. Digestible CP values of 13·33, 13·47, 15·38 and 15·01% and TDN values of 59·8, 57·6, 70·4 and 77·6% were obtained for cow, buffalo, sheep and goat, respectively.

Three experiments each utilizing four buffalo heifers in 4 x 4 latin square designs were conducted over a period of 84 days to estimate the voluntary consumption of eight long-chopped and four ground roughages. Voluntary intake and rate of passage were determined during the last 10 days and digestibility of feed nutrients during the last 6 days of a 21-day experimental period.The mean daily dry-matter intake (DMI, g/kg W 0 ' 75 ), D.M. digestibility (%) and meai> retention time (h) of long and chopped feeds were 81-, respectively for maize silage, sorghum stover, dry grass, maize stover, berseem hay, wheat straw, pearl-millet stover and cowpea hay. Appreciable differences were observed between feeds in the digestibility of D.M., organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP). No consistent pattern in level of intake and either CP or crude fibre (CF) contents of feeds or their D.M. digestibilities was discernible. The relationship between DMI and D.M. digestibility was low (r = 0-29). Higher DMI of feeds tended to be associated with faster rate of passage excepting maize silage and berseem hay. The relationship between D.M. digestibility and mean retention time was low (r = 0-46) and between total digestible nutrient intake and body weight was high (r = 0-79).The mean daily DMI (g/kg W°"' 5 ), D.M. digestibility (%) and mean retention time (h) of ground roughages were 68-7, 51-3, 58-0; 62-9, 38-4, 60-0; 62-4, 40-1, 63-0; 53-1, 66-6, 72-0, respectively for ground maize stover, wheat straw, dry grass and berseem hay. Ground roughages appeared to be utilized less efficiently by buffaloes than longchopped roughages. INTRODUCTIONclimatic conditions, various types of roughages such as straws, stovers, dry grass, hays and silages Two sets of factors affecting feed intake in farm in long-chopped form are used in rations of farm animals have been identified during the last two animals in India. Grinding of roughages is not decades. The first set of factors relate to the rate of common but pelleting of roughages to form disappearance of digesta from the reticulo-rumen, roughage-based diets necessitates grinding of often classified as physical factors, and are reviewed roughages. Concluding the results of several experiby ), Blaxter (1962), ments, Minson (1963 and Moore (1964) stated that Warner (1963), Van Soest (1965, Campling (1966a) advantage in intake due to grinding and pelleting and Conrad (1966). The second set of factors are depends upon the quality of the roughages. Intake primarily physiological and are reviewed by Balch of poor quality roughages increased owing ), Conrad (1966) and Jones(1972. grinding, whilst that of good quality roughages The voluntary intake of sole roughage diets of low remained unaffected. The work relating to factors nutritive value presumably depends upon the affecting voluntary intake of food noted above was rumen load, and the rate at which this load is carried out on cattle and sheep and little has been reduced is determined by the rate of passage of attempted on buffaloes. The contributio...

Seven non-pregnant Murrah buffalo heifers aged 20-34 months and weighing 170-260 kg were used in a 7 x 4 incomplete latin square design to study the effect of feeding mixed diets on voluntary intake over a period of 84 days. Voluntary intake and rate of passage were determined during the last 10 days and digestibility of feed nutrients during the last 6 days of each 21-day experimental period.Maize stover, dry grass and wheat straw were fed ad libitum mixed with either a fixed quantity of berseem hay (MH, GH and WH rations, respectively) or concentrates (MC, GC and WC rations, respectively) to total co. 0-80% of body weight (BW). Berseem hay fed free choice mixed with limited (0-70% BW) concentrates (HC ration) comprised another treatment. The mean daily total dry-matter intake (DMI g/kgW° 75 ) and total digestible nutrient intake (given in parenthesis) by animals were 62-2 (1-94), 72-2 (2-20), 74-3 (2-30), 75-2 (2-94), 79-5 (2-59), 85-9 (2-78) and 88-5 (2-98), respectively on MH, GH, WH, HC, MC, WC and GC rations. The digestible crude protein intake on the HC ration was higher than on the remaining six rations. Feeding a fixed quantity of either berseem hay or concentrates resulted in lower consumption of basal roughages suggesting that the physical capacity of the gut limited intake.Dry-matter digestibility (%) and mean retention time (h), given in parenthesis, ) and 58-9 (66-0), respectively on MH, GH, WH, HC, MC, GC and WC rations. The digestibilities of D.M. and proximate principles, except crude fibre (CF), of the HC ration were higher than those of the remaining six mixed diets. Concentrate feeding tended to hasten the movement of digesta of the roughage portion of the mixed diet through the digestive tract. The longest mean retention and rumen retention times were associated with the highest digestibilities. The wheat straw-berseem hay mixed diet was as good as dry grass or maize stover-berseem hay mixed diets with regard to its nutrient intake and weight gain by the heifers. approximately equal to the maximal intake of the better quality roughage when fed alone. Hillman Under ordinary farm feeding conditions it is an (1969) observed that the total dry-matter intake accepted practice to feed a good quality roughage (total DMI) of animals fed silage ad libitum together mixed with a poor quality one or, where good with a limited quantity of hay, was increased when quality roughages are not available, to feed a compared with the intake of silage D.M. when silage restricted quantity of concentrates with the poor was fed alone. Similarly, Miller et al. (1965) also quality roughages in order to get optimum pro-noted higher total DMI of cows fed mixed forages, duction. Not much is known about the effect of one in fixed amounts and the other fed ad libitum feeding a fixed quantity of good quality roughage though intake of forage fed ad libitum was deon intake of poor quality roughages fed ad libitum creased. The addition of restricted amounts of and on total intake. Blaxter, Wainman & Davidson concentrates have ...

Three experiments, each with six lactating Mehsana-Surti buffaloes, were conducted to investigate the effect of supplementary feeding of concentrates on intake of basal rations of berseem hay, maize silage or wheat straw and on the total intake of feeds in 3 x 3 latin square designs.In the berseem hay experiment, concentrate feeding at 16-8 or 26-1% of hay drymatter intake (DMI) resulted in a decrease of hay DMI by 0-77 and 0-65 kg/kg concentrate D.M., respectively. Intake of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and digestible crude protein (DCP) of buffaloes receiving concentrates in addition to hay were not different from those receiving hay alone. The possibility of some chemical factor limiting feed intake has been indicated for these rations in buffaloes. Supplementary feeding had a little effect on milk production.In the maize silage experiment, concentrate feeding at 14-5 and 27-7% of the silage DMI resulted in a similar increase of total DMI, thereby increasing the TDN intake and DCP intake. Appreciable increases in milk yield and solids-not-fat (SNF) content due to supplementation were noted, although milk-fat content tended to be low.Voluntary intake of rations comprising wheat straw fed free choice with three levels of concentrates at 28-7, 48-0 and 68-8 % of straw DMI was studied in the third experiment. Concentrate supplementation had little effect on straw DMI with the result that intakes of total D.M., TDN and DCP on the medium and high proportions of supplements were higher than those on the low proportion. The milk yield, of buffaloes receiving medium and high proportions of concentrates with wheat straw increased significantly over those receiving the low proportion of concentrates. The SNF and milk-fat contents were similar on all the three treatments. The implication of physical factors limiting intake is discussed in the case of maize silage and wheat straw diets.The lactating buffaloes failed to maintain their weights on either sole berseem hay or sole maize silage rations. Supplementary feeding helped buffaloes to register small weight gains on hay rations and substantial gains on silage rations. The buffaloes on wheat straw fed with three proportions of concentrates tended to put on a little weight. Multiple regression using pooled data of Expts 1 and 3 showed that the partial regression coefficient of metabolic body weight (kgW 076 ) on TDN intake was not significant but that of 6 % fat-corrected milk on TDN intake was, suggesting a close relationship between milk yield and food intake.replacement of basal roughage ration, response is likely to be low. Supplementary feeding of concentrates to lactat-Generally total intake of D.M. increases when a ing buffaloes receiving roughages as basal feeds is a basal ration fed ad libitum is supplemented with common practice in India for milk production. The concentrates. The extent of the increase in dryproduction response to supplementary feeding is matter intake (DMI), however, varies because the likely to be greater if the supplements increase the co...