Nutrient digestibility and ruminal characteristics of buffaloes and bovine fed additived sugar cane silages

Abstract

It was evaluated nutrients total digestibility (TD) and dry matter (DM) intake, pH and NH3 ruminal concentration in buffaloes and bovine, fed sugar cane silages treated with Lactobacillus buchneri (SSL), plus 10% - cassava by-product meal (SSLC), plus 10% - soybean hulls (SSLS) or plus 1% - urea (SSLU). The experimental design was a double 4x4 Latin squares with a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement. There was no interaction between species x treatment for evaluated parameters except for TD of CP, NDF and ADF. The soybean hulls addition increased (P<0.05) TD of DM, OM and total carbohydrate (TC) while the urea addition reduced (P<0.05) DM intake and TD of DM, OM, TC and no fiber carbohydrate (NFC). Buffaloes showed the highest (P<0.05) TD of CP with SSL and the highest TD of NDF and ADF with SSLS. Bovines showed the highest (P<0.05) TD of CP with the SSL and SSLS; the last increased TD of NDF and ADF. The rumen pH in buffalo was higher than in cattle (6.62 vs. 6.48, respectively). The NH3 ruminal concentration did not differ between species and SSLU treatment presented the highest values (12.9 mg / 100 mL).