Comparative In Vitro Digestibility of Forages by Buffalo, Zebu, and Holstein Cattle

Abstract

Digestibility of organic matter and crude fiber in forage was studied with nonparous females of water buffalo (Bosbubalis-Jaffarabadi breed), Zebu cattle (Bos indicus-Gir breed), and Holstein cattle (Bos taurus). Forages studied were low quality hay of molasses grass (Melines minutiflora) and silage of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum). At time of ensiling, ground corn was added to the elephant grass at 10%, wet basis. The in vitro method of Tilley and Terry (12) was used to measure digestibility with rumen fluid of experimental animals as inocula when they were receiving a ration of the hay and then a ration of the silage. When animals were consuming the hay ration, digestibility of crude fiber by buffalo (40.0%) was greater than by Zebu (31.7%) or Holstein (29.1%). When they were consuming silage, which was of higher quality than the hay, buffalo and Zebu digested the fiber equally well and were superior to the Holstein digestibilities 46.4, 46.4, and 40.0%. Similarly, digestibility of organic matter was greatest by buffalo when animals consumed the hay ration; and when they were fed silage, digestibilities for buffalo and Zebu were similar and greater than for Holstein. With rations high in fiber and low in protein content, Jaffarabadi buffalo are superior to Gir and Holstein cattle for ability of inocula to digest crude fiber and organic matter.