Nguyen Van Thu and Le Van Phong *

* Corresponding author (phongp0417001@gstudent.ctu.edu.vn)

Main Article Content

Abstract

Four local male cattle with average live weight of 290 kg were arranged in a Latin-square design with four treatments, which included fresh water hyacinth (WH) replacing rice straw at levels of 0, 25, 50 and 75% in the diets [dry matter (DM) basis]. The aim of this study was to find out the optimum level of fresh WH in cattle diet based on nutrient digestibility, rumen parameters, nitrogen retention and daily weight gain. The multi-nutrient cake containing 323 g CP/kg DM was supplemented in all the diets to adjust the daily crude protein intake to 210 g/100 kg body weight. The results of the study showed that daily DM, organic matter and metabolizable energy intakes were significantly different (P<0.05) among the diets. While rumen pH, N-NH­3 and volatile fatty acid concentration were not significantly different (P>0.05) among the treatments. The daily nitrogen retention and weight gain were 0.482, 0.502, 0.510 and 0.480 g/kgW0.75 and 250, 334, 448 and 403 g for the WH25, WH50, WH75 and WH100 treatments, respectively. The results indicated that feeding the fresh WH to replace rice straw up to 75% in local cattle diet could improve metabolizable energy intake, nutrient digestibility and growth performance. The optimum level of WH replacement to rice straw in the diet was 50%.
Keywords: Intake, growth rate, nitrogen retention, nutrient digestion, rumen parameter

Article Details

References

AOAC, 1990. Official Methods of Analysis. 13th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington, DC.

Barnett, A. J. G. and Reid, R. L., 1957. Studies on the production of volatile fatty acids from grass by rumen liquor in an artificial rumen. The volatile fatty acid production from grass. Journal of Agricultural Science, 48: 315-321

Begum, N., Khan, M.J. and Islam, K.M.S., 2000. Feeding rations containing road side grass, maize silage or water hyacinth in Bull calves. Pakistan Journal of Biological Science 3(10): 1730-1732.

Le Thuy Trieu, 2009. Effects of different replacement levels of fresh water hyacinth in para grass basal diets on feed utilization and nutrient digestibility of Bach Thao goat and Phan Rang sheep. MSc thesis, Can Tho University (in Vietnamese).

Minitab, 2010. Minitab reference manual release 16.2.0. Minitab Inc.

McDonald, P., Edwards, R. A., Greenhagh, J. F. D. and Morgan, C. A., 1998. Digestibility. Evaluation of food. In Animal Nutrition. Fifth edition Addison Wesley Longman, UK, pp. 221-237

NIAS, National Institute of Animal Science, 1995. Chemical composition of Animal feeds (Vietnamese). Agriculture Publishing house. Ha Noi.

Nguyen Bich Ngoc, 2000. Nutrition of feed plants for ruminant. Ethnic minority culture Publishing House, Ha Noi.

Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh, 2007. Effects of different crude protein levels and crude protein supplemented feed on nutrient utilization and growth performance of local yellow cattle. MSc thesis, Can Tho University (in Vietnamese).

Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh, 2010. Effects of para grass replacement by water hyacinth on nutrient utilization, rumen parameters and nitrogen retention of local growing cattle and buffalo. MSc thesis. Can Tho University (in Vietnamese).

Nguyen Van Thu and Nguyen Thi Kim Dong, 2010. A study of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as a feed resource for feeding growing rabbits. International workshop on Livestock, Climate Change and the Environment.16-18 November 2009, An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam. Available from http://www.mekarn.org/workshops/environ/proenv/thuctu.htm.

Nguyen Van Thu, 2016. Effects of water hyacinth silage in diets on feed intake, digestibility and rumen parameters of sheep (Ovis aries) in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. Journal of Science, Can Tho University. DOI: 10.221/ctu.jen.2017.00. 02. 8-12.

Preston, T. R. and Leng, R. A., 1987 Matching livestock production systems with available resources in the tropics and Sub-tropics. Penambul Books Amidale, Australia. 265 pp.

Tran Kim Chi, 2015. A study of TMR and fermented TMR on CH4 production and feed utilization of Lai Sind cattle. MSc thesis. Can Tho University, Vietnam.

Van Soest, P.J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A., 1991. Method for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non-starch polysaccharide in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science. 74(10): 3583-3597.

Most read articles by the same author(s)