Effect of cassava hay supplementation to untreated rice straw and a mineral-urea block on growth rate of swamp buffaloes under small-holder conditions

K Souksamlane, P Ammaly and M Wanapat*

Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR
souk_souksamlan@yahoo.com
* Tropical Feed Resources Research and Development Center (TROFREC),
Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

Abstract

Eighteen male buffaloes 1.5 to 2 years of age and from 200 to 220 kg live weight were selected, one from each of 18 households. They were allocated equally to three groups (each group represented by 6 households). Each group of buffaloes grazed together in the day-time and were supplemented in the night-time according to the following treatments: Control: Rice straw; MUB: A mineral-urea block offered ad libitum plus rice straw; MUB-CH: MUB plus cassava hay at 0.5 kg/head/day plus rice straw.

Growth rates were improved 34% by supplementation with the mineral-urea block and by 250% when cassava hay was given together with the block.

Key words: Farmers, grazing, households, village

Figure 1. Effect if supplementation on growth rates of buffaloes under smallholder farm conditions