RESPONSE OF CATTLE TO DRY SEASON SUPPLEMENTATION OF UREA- AMMONIATED RICE STRAW OR UNTREATED RICE STRAW FED WITH GRIFFONIA SIMPLICIFOLIA OR WHEATBRAN

摘要

A feeding trial was carried out at the Katamanso Research Station of the Animal Research Institute using 4 cow and calf pairs per treatment. The treatments used were: Grazing on natural pasture only (control) (Diet 1), natural grazing plus urea-ammoniated rice straw (Diet 2), natural grazing plus untreated rice straw supplemented with Griffonia simplicifolia (Diet 3) and natural grazing plus untreated rice staw supplemented wheat bran (Diet 4). Supplements were fed to individual animals in the test groups. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between diets in terms of cow and calf growth rate (kg day~(-1)). Diet 4 had the highest daily dry matter intake (DDMI) of 775.4 g day~(-1) and this significantly different (P<0.05) from diet 2 (460.3 gday~(-1)) and diet 3 (319.4 g day~(-1)). There was a significant treatment X month of observation interaction (P<0.01) on DDMI. There was a general increase in dry matter intake from January to March for all treatments. Dry matter intake of untreated rice straw was significantly (P<0.001) higher in diet 4 (361.8 g day~(-1)) as compared to diet 3 (132.4 g day~(-1)) in all the months. It was concluded that the feeding of untreated rice straw with either Griffonia simplicifolia or wheat bran was comparable to feeding urea-am moniated rice straw as as dry season feed supplement for cattle. To ensure a dry matter intake, high enough to cause an appreciable change in production, however, there may be need to feed both leguminous browse and agro-industrial by-products as thev would appear to compiement each other.