Evaluation of growth performance, feed intake and diet digestibility in growing buffaloes supplemented with ensiled groundnut vines in the traditional diet
Dao Lan Nhi, Do Van Con and Khuat Thai Ha*
National Institute of Animal Husbandry
Thuy Phuong, Tu Liem, Ha Noi, Vietnam
niah@netnam.vn
Veterynary Station of Vinh
Phuc
Abstract
Sixteen male buffaloes at 12-15 months of age with 150-163 kg live weight were allocated to 4 treatments (4 animals in each) and supplemented a part of their basal diet with ensiled groundnut vines. The objective was to evaluate the effects on DM intake, digestibility and growth performance of young buffaloes when supplementation of groundnut vines silage (EGN0, EGN10, EGN20 and EGN30) was made at levels of 0, 10, 20 and 30 % (in DM) in the basal diet (natural grasses and rice straw).
DM intake and growth rate were not different among diets. There was a tendency for digestibility coefficients to be lowest for the control diet.
It is concluded that young buffaloes can be
fed up to 30 % of their diet (in DM) as ensiled groundnut vines
with the improvement of growth performance but with lower
costs.
Key words: Ensiled groundnut vines, growth, buffaloes
Introduction
The three million buffaloes in Vietnam are almost all reared on smallholder farms. The main population (>70 %) of these Swamp buffalo is in the Northern mountainous part of the country. Buffaloes are usually grazed during the day and fed rice straw at night. These feeds have low protein contents.
There are around 1.2 million tonnes of groundnut vines produced
annually in Vietnam by smallholder farmers (Bui Van Chinh and Le
Viet Ly 2001). Traditionally these by-products are used as green
manure. Some farmers dry and store them to feed to their
buffaloes. However, drying groundnut leaves and stems to get
groundnut hay is a big problem for farmers during the rainy
season.
It is hypothesized that supplementation with ensiled
groundnut vines of the
traditional diet based on natural grass and rice straw can improve
DM intake, digestibility and growth performance of young
buffaloes.
The objective of this study was to examine effects of supplementation of ensiled groundnut vines to the traditional diet (natural grasses and rice straw) for young buffaloes under small farmer condition in the mountainous areas.
Materials and Methods
Location
The research was carried out from December 2003 to August 2004
in the Tu Lap village, Me Linh district, Vinh Phuc province.
Preparation of ensiled groundnut
vines
The groundnut vines were harvested in December, during ground nut harvesting. They were chopped into lengths of 10-12 cm and ensiled with 5% of maize meal (fresh basis) in large and thick plastic bags. After 10 weeks of fermentation, ensiled groundnut vines were taken out and used as feed for the experimental animals and for chemical analysis.
On- station feeding trial
Animals and management.
Sixteen young male buffaloes with initial live weight of 150-163 kg were purchased from a breeding area in the province. After 1 week for adaptation and vaccination, they were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (each treatment consisting of 4 buffaloes).
Diets and feeding
The experimental diets were::
-
EGN0, Natural grasses at a level of 60 % and rice straw 40 % (on dry matter basis) daily without supplementation of ensiled groundnut vines
-
EGN10, Supplemented with ensiled groundnut vines at 10% (DM basis) of the basal diet
-
EGN20, Supplemented with ensiled groundnut vines at 20% (DM basis) of the basal diet
-
EGN30, Supplemented with ensiled groundnut vines at 30% (DM basis) of the basal diet
All feeds were chopped and mixed before feeding ad. libitum
4 times/day (at 6, 10 AM and 2, 7 PM daily). All animals in the experiment were kept in individual
pens. Water was freely available. The experimental
period was 3 months.
Photo 1. The young buffaloes for the "on-station" experiment
Digestibility trial
The total faeces collection method was used to
determine DM digestibility for all the
diets.
On-farm feeding trial
Twenty growing male buffaloes with a mean initial
live weight of 130-172 kg
were reared in twenty households (each household kept one buffalo only)
and randomly allocated to one of the two treatments: Control
and experimental groups (ten per treatment).
-
EGB0: The control diet was made up of grazing during the day and feeding rice straw ad. libitum at night.
-
EGN30: Grazing during the day and the experimental diet identified in the on-station trial (30% replacement rate with silage) given before feeding the rice straw
The experiment was carried out for 75 days (excluding the 5 days
adaptation period)
Measurements.
Feed offered and refused were recorded daily to calculate feed intake. Live weight change of animals was recorded every month. ,
Results and discussion
Nutritive values of feed
The silage of groundnut vines had an acceptable smell and appearance. The pH dropped to 4.10 after ensiling 60 days when taking the silage out for feeding the buffaloes (Table 1).
|
Table 1. Nutritive value of natural grass, rice straw and ensiled groundnut wines (EGN) |
|||
|
|
Natural grass |
Rice straw |
EGN |
|
Dry matter (%) |
19.5 |
80.7 |
26.1 |
|
As % of DM |
|||
|
CP |
12.8 |
5.75 |
15.6 |
|
OM |
83.5 |
85.0 |
87.9 |
|
CF |
31.6 |
39.2 |
27.3 |
|
Fat |
1.72 |
- |
2.06 |
|
Ash |
16.5 |
15.10 |
12.4 |
|
Lactic acid |
- |
- |
2.25 |
|
Acetic acid |
- |
- |
1.07 |
|
Butyric acid |
- |
- |
trace |
|
pH |
- |
- |
4.1 |
Feed intake
Total dry matter intake and digestibility was the same on all diets (Table 2). Crude protein intake increased following the increase in the rates of groundnut vines silage supplementation.
|
Table 2. Effects of supplementation with ensiled groundnut vines (EGN) on DM intake and digestibility in buffaloes fed natural grasses and rice straw |
|||||
|
|
% EGN in DM intake |
SEM |
|||
|
0 |
10 |
20 |
30 |
||
|
DM intake (kg/day) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural grasses |
3.14 |
2.93 |
2.53 |
2.26 |
|
|
Rice straw |
2.13 |
1.94 |
1.64 |
1.62 |
|
|
EGN |
0.00 |
0.56 |
1.18 |
1.60 |
|
Total DM intake |
|
|
|
|
|
|
kg/day |
5.27 |
5.43 |
5.35 |
5.48 |
0.11 |
|
% body weight |
2.99 |
3.13 |
3.08 |
3.08 |
0.08 |
CP intake |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total, kg/day |
0.499b |
0.545a |
0.563a |
0.587a |
0.65 |
|
EGN as % of total CP |
0 |
14 |
29 |
37 |
|
|
DM Digestibility (%) |
54.6 |
54.8 |
55.5 |
55.4 |
0.20 |
|
ab Means in the same row with different letter superscripts are different at P<0.05 |
|||||
Growth performance
The values for growth rate and feed conversion were fairly typical
for young buffaloes on small-holdings given a diet without
concentrates.
|
Table 3. The change of body weight and daily gain of the buffaloes |
|||||
|
|
Level of EGN (% in DM intake) |
SEM |
|||
|
0 |
10 |
20 |
30 |
||
|
Days in experiment |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
|
|
Live weight (kg) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Initial |
157.3 |
156 |
156 |
159 |
|
|
Final |
191 |
191 |
191 |
198 |
|
|
Daily gain |
0.405b |
0.405b |
418b |
0.464a |
0.20 |
|
Feed conversion (kg DM/kg gain) |
13.0 |
13.4 |
12.8 |
11.8 |
0.26 |
|
ab Means in the same row with different letter superscripts are different at P<0.05 |
|||||
On-farm feeding trial
Growth rate was the same on the control and supplemented diet in the on-farm trial. The lack of difference was probably because for both treatments the buffaloes had access to grazing during the day time, which would have covered their needs for protein. The growth rate of 398 g/day on the control diet is indicative of the nutritional adequacy of this diet.
|
Table 4. Effects of the supplementation with EGN on the growth performance of buffaloes in the farms |
||
|
|
Basal diet |
EGN30 |
|
Initial live weight (kg) |
143 |
145 |
|
Final live weight (kg) |
173 |
176 |
|
Daily gain (g/day) |
398 |
402 |
|
Feed cost/kg gain (VND) |
8890 |
8050 |
Conclusions
-
Groundnut vines can be satisfactorily ensiled with 5 % of maize meal and used as a protein supplement for growing buffaloes
-
Responses to the ensiled vines will depend on the basal diet and is more likely to be beneficial during the dry period when natural grazing is in poor supply and of low nutritive value.
References
Bui Van Chinh, Le Viet Ly and Nguyen Huu Tao 1996 Storage and use of groundnut vines as animal feed. In"Better use of locally available feed resources in sustainable livestock-based agricultural systems in South-East Asia" GCP/RAS/143/JPN & MAFF Cambodia, 44-47