Awadhesh Kishore
Raja Balwant Singh College, India
Title: Influence of manipulated rumen fermentation using buffers on ruminal environment in crossbred calves
Biography
Biography: Awadhesh Kishore
Abstract
Present investigation is an effort to study the effect of manipulation of rumen fermentation using buffers in crossbred calves on rumen environment i.e., pH, content of different VFA and acetate to propionate (A:P) ratio and total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen, (AN), urea nitrogen (UN) and non urea and ammonia nitrogen (NAUN). Twelve crossbred calves for the purpose was selected (age 131-221 d; live weight LW 57.5-93.9 kg). All of them received grass mixture as green fodder and wheat straw as dry fodder. Concentrate mixture contained barley grain and mustard cake. On the basis of different phenotypic traits the animals were divided into three groups. One animal from each group was randomly allotted to one of the four treatments viz. T1, T2, T3 and T4. Buffer in the form of sodium bicarbonate (S) and magnesium oxide (M) in combination @ 0.00 & 0.00, 0.50 & 0.25, 1.00 & 0.50, 1.50 & 0.75 of assumed dry matter intake to be 4% of LW or 0.0 & 0.0, 0.2 & 0.1, 0.4 & 0.2 and 0.6 & 0.3% of LW were given in T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The ruminal study trial was started on day 30 of the experiment for 5 consecutive days. The rumen liquor samples were collected after 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 hours (h) of feeding buffer. The samples were analyzed to TVFA, pH, acetic acid (AA), butyric acid (BA), iso-butyric acid (IBA), iso-valeric acid (IVA), propionic acid (PA), valeric acid (VA), A:P ratio, TN, AN, UN and NAUN. The data recorded were subjected to statistical analysis using suitable models. The results of the study indicated that pH was fell down, TVFA, BA, VA & A:P ratio increased and AA, PA & AN decreased in rumen liquor due to buffer supplementation. Pattern of pH showed decreasing up to 10 hours, TVFA up to 6 hours, IBA, AN and UN up to 8 hours in rumen liquor after feeding buffer. The overall conclusion can be made on the basis of the observations that the addition of buffer addition in calf nutrition was responsible to manipulate ruminal environment in such a way so that so that it became much helpful to produce surplus fat due to appropriate pH and A:P ratio in the rumen ecosystem.