In Situ Ruminal Digestion Kinetics of Forages and Feed Byproducts in Cattle and Buffalo

Abstract

The relative disappearance and rate of degradation of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of nine different feedstuffs were determined by simultaneously suspending groups of substrates, using the nylon bags, in the rumen of males of Sahiwal cattle and Nili-Ravi buffalo. The digestion kinetics of leguminous forages (Lucerne, berseem and cowpeas) and feed byproducts (cotton seed cake, wheat bran and wheat straw) did not differ between the two species. However, the DM and NDF digestibilities and rates of digestion of grasses and wheat straw were greater in buffalo than in cow bulls, indicating that buffaloes are better converters of poor quality roughages than are Sahiwal. The lag time for DM of grasses did not differ between these two species but the NDF lag time was lower in buffalo than in cows, indicating that both the rate and lag time of digestion may be reliable indicators for assessing the NDF quality.