Intake and digestion in swamp buffaloes and cattle. 1. The digestion of rice straw (Oryza sativa)

Abstract

SUMMARYFour swamp buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) and four crossbredBos indicusxB. tauruscattle, fistulated at the rumen and abomasum or duodenum, were offered rice straw with mineral supplements in two experiments. In Expt 1, the straw was supplemented with 5% of leaf ofLeucaena leucocephala, and in Expt 2 with either urea or urea with sunflower meal and rice grain. Intake of supplements of urea or urea/sunflower/rice respectively was 935 and 681 g/kg offered in buffaloes and 566 and 789 in cattle.Buffaloes ruminated longer than cattle (Expt 1, 635v. 452 min/day; Expt 2, 626v. 466 min/day,P< 0·01). In Expt 1, voluntary intake and frequency of ‘A’ sequence forestomach contractions of both species was not affected by species, but buffaloes had a greater (P< 0·05) contraction force in the rumen and omasum, lower rate of ‘B’ sequence rumen contractions, and faster (P< 0·001) rate of gastrointestinal passage than cattle. In Expt 2, voluntary intake of both species was similar, and addition of concentrates did not affect voluntary roughage consumption, norin siturate of digestion of rice straw. Rate and predicted extent of digestion of dietary materials did not differ between species in Expt 1, despite lower concentrations of ammonia in rumen fluid in cattle than buffaloes; however in Expt 2, the rate of digestion of rice straw was higher (p< 0·05) and predicted extent of digestion was 14–20% (P< 0·05) lower in buffaloes. Digestibility of cell wall constituents was lower (P< 0·05) in buffaloes than in cattle in both experiments, but in Expt 2, provision of concentrates reduced (P< 0·01) the proportion of digestible cell wall constituents digested in the forestomach of buffaloes, but not of cattle.