Buffel Grass Hay Research Articles

Parâmetros sanguíneos, hepáticos e ruminais de ovinos alimentados com dietas com farelo de mamona destoxificado

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os parâmetros sanguíneos, hepáticos e ruminais, bem como caracterizar e quantificar a população de protozoários ciliados, no rúmen de ovinos alimentados com dietas com farelo de mamona destoxificada (FM). Foram utilizados 32 ovinos, para a avaliação dos parâmetros sanguíneos e hepáticos, e quatro ovinos adultos fistulados no rúmen, para a avaliação dos parâmetros ruminais. A dieta controle foi composta por feno de capim-buffel, milho em grão moído, ureia e farelo de soja (FS). Nos tratamentos, o FS foi substituído parcialmente pelo FM a 15, 30 e 45% no concentrado. Não houve diferença, entre os tratamentos, quanto aos teores de ureia no soro, cuja média foi de 666,0 mg L-1. Não houve diferença entre as dietas quanto à glicose, ao aspartato aminotranferase e à alanina aminotransferase, que tiveram média de 690,3 mg L-1, 127,4 UI L-1 e 16,9 UI L-1, respectivamente. Os valores de nitrogênio amoniacal e pH apresentaram padrão linear crescente com a substituição do FS pelo FM. O gênero Entodinium foi o mais frequente em todos os tratamentos e obteve média geral de 76,4% do total de protozoários; o tratamento sem inclusão do FM obteve a maior percentagem deste gênero entre os tratamentos.Adieta com substituição de 45% do farelo de soja pelo de mamona destoxificado favorece o ambiente ruminal.

Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaria L.) substitution for orange pulp on intake, digestibility, and performance of hairsheep lambs

Twenty Dorper x Pelibuey male lambs were used to evaluate the effect of substitution of forage with fresh orange pulp (FOP) in diets for fattening lambs on productive behavior, nutrient intake, apparent digestibility coefficient, and feeding costs. Lambs were divided into five groups (n = 4) and then housed in individual pens during 70 d. Treatments consisted of five levels of FOP (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) which substituted buffel grass hay on the base diet (40:60%, forage:concentrate). Additionally, changes in chemical composition of FOP stored in stack during 8 d were evaluated (from the day 1 until day 8). Daily feed intake expressed as kg/day and % live weight, lamb growth rate, feeding cost of each lamb per day and per fattening period, hemicellulose intake, and DM, OM, CP, NDF and hemicellulose digestibility showed a quadratic effect (P < 0.05), while DM, OM and CP intake presented a cubic effect (P < 0.05) with the increasing level of FOP. The maximum estimated value for those variables was observed at 75% of hay replacement with FOP. With respect to changes in chemical composition of pulp stored, DM content increased (P = 0.0011) from 210 to 310 g/kg FOP and OM, fiber fraction, and ash content were constant (P > 0.05) among storage days. Therefore, replacing around 75% of buffel grass hay with FOP in diets for fattening lambs resulted in the best growth rate and more efficient diet utilization. Fresh orange pulp stored in a stack did not change its chemical composition, and did not affect its utilization as a sheep feedstuff.

A comparison of the excretion rate of endogenous purine derivatives in the urine of Bos indicus and Bos taurus steers

Estimates of microbial crude protein (MCP) production by ruminants, using a method based on the excretion of purine derivatives in urine, require an estimate of the excretion of endogenous purine derivatives (PD) by the animal. Current methods allocate a single value to all cattle. An experiment was carried out to compare the endogenous PD excretion in Bos taurus and high-content B. indicus (hereafter, B. indicus) cattle. Five Holstein–Friesian (B. taurus) and 5 Brahman (&gt; 75% B. indicus) steers (mean liveweight 326 ± 3.0 kg) were used in a fasting study. Steers were fed a low-quality buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris; 59.4 g crude protein/kg dry matter) hay at estimated maintenance requirements for 19 days, after which hay intake was incrementally reduced for 2 days and the steers were fasted for 7 days. The excretion of PD in urine was measured daily for the last 6 days of the fasting period and the mean represented the daily endogenous PD excretion. Excretion of endogenous PD in the urine of B. indicus steers was less than half that of the B. taurus steers (190 µmol/kg W0.75.day v. 414 µmol/kg W0.75.day; combined s.e. 37.2 µmol/kg W0.75.day; P &lt; 0.001). It was concluded that the use of a single value for endogenous PD excretion is inappropriate for use in MCP estimations and that subspecies-specific values would improve precision.

Feed intake and body weight gains of Tswana sheep fed on Buffel grass hay and supplements under drylotting

Feed intake and body weight gains of Tswana sheep fed on Buffel grass hay and supplements under drylotting

Use of browses (Terminalia serecia, Combretum apiculatum or Euclea schimperi) as a supplement for growing Tswana goats.

Twenty yearling male castrated Tswana goats were weighed and randomly divided into four groups of 5 animals. All the animals were fed buffel grass hay (Cenchrus ciliaris) as a basal diet, while lucerne (Medicago sativa) was fed to the control group as supplement. The other three groups were fed either Combretum apiculatum, Terminalia serecia or Euclea schimperi as a supplement. The basal diet comprised 60% of the ration, while the lucerne or the browses made up the remaining 40%. Water was provided daily. Leftover water and feed were measured daily. The goats were weigted every 2 weeks, prior to the morning feed. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance. The average daily dry matter intake of the lucerne, C. apiculatum, T. serecia and E. schimperi supplements was 702.17, 769.91, 776.68 and 752.50 g, respectively, and was not significantly different between treatments (p > 0.05). The average daily water intake was significantly different (p < 0.05), with the goats fed lucerne drinking significantly more water (1270 +/- 31.62 ml) than the goats on T. serecia (1150 +/- 103.2 ml) but not significantly more than those on C. apiculatum (1166 +/- 52.25 ml) or E. schimperi (1184 +/- 100.15 ml). The average daily body weight gain was higher for the goats on lucerne at 78 g, compared to 77 g, 67 g and 64 g, for the C. apiculatum, E. schimperi and T. serecia supplements, respectively, but these were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Differences in feed conversion ratio were not significant (p > 0.05), but the ratio was lower for the goats on lucerne at 9.00 compared to 10.41, 11.98, and 11.23 for C. apiculatum, T. serecia and E. schimperi, respectively. The study demonstrated that these browses can be used to replace lucerne as a supplement for Tswana goats fed on buffel grass hay as the basal diet.

Effect of four fertilization levels on in vitro organic matter digestibility, crude protein, and mineral concentrations of buffelgrass hay in southern Puerto rico,

Abstract Comparisons were made for the in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), crude protein (CP) content, and mineral concentrations of buffelgrass hay (Cenchrus ciliaris) as affected by four fertilization rates in the semi‐arid southern region of Puerto Rico. Pasture fertilization influenced (P<0.05) concentrations of CP, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and molybdenum (Mo), with the lowest application rate resulting in the lower mineral concentrations compared to the highest fertilizer rate. In relation to the requirements of beef cattle, buffelgrass contained low to extremely deficient concentrations of CP, Ca, magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), copper (Cu,) cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn).