Effects of vegetable oil supplementation on feed intake, rumen fermentation, growth performance, and carcass characteristic of growing swamp buffaloes

Abstract

Fifteen, one year old swamp buffalo males with average liveweight of 200.5 ± 9.5 kg were randomly assigned according to a completely randomized design to receive three dietary treatments of supplemental vegetable oils in concentrate contained 140, 750, and 16 g of crude protein, total digestible nutrient, and ether extract, respectively (T1 = unsupplemented, T2 = supplemental coconut oil and sunflower oil in ratio 50:50 at 6% of concentrate, and T3 = supplemental sunflower oil at 6% of concentrate) during a 5-month feeding trial. Urea-treated rice straw was offered ad libitum and concentrate was supplemented at 150 g/kg BW. The results revealed that supplementation of vegetable oils decreased dry matter intake in sunflower oil supplemented group. Combination of coconut oil and sunflower oil supplementation resulted in similar average daily gain as those found in control and in sunflower oil supplemented groups. Rumen microorganism population, ammonia–nitrogen, blood urea–nitrogen and total volatile fatty acid concentrations were decreased as vegetable oils were supplemented. Oil supplementation slightly reduced growth rate, hot carcass percentage, loin eye area particularly on sunflower oil supplemented group. Based on these findings, vegetable oil resulted in decreased performance of swamp buffaloes although the combination of coconut oil and sunflower oil could reduce negative effect of unsaturated oil supplementation. However, further analyses of conjugated fatty acids (CLA) in meat could offer useful information in determining pronounced effects of vegetable oil supplementation.