Abstract 330

Krishna,-G

Dep. Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Haryana Agricultural Univ., Hissar (125004), Haryana, India.

World-Review-of-Animal-Production. 1984, 20: 4, 3, 5, 39-43; 19 ref.

Nutritive value of a test silage made from paddy straw 1000, molasses 3330, cotton gin trash 1333, malt sprouts with hulls 1666 and water 5666 kg, supplemented with Na2SO4 9, CaPO4 6 and CaCO3 20.5 kg was estimated with 6 male crossbred calves fed to appetite, and compared with values obtained with 6 other calves fed to appetite on berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) hay. The representative silage and hay samples contained DM 44.1 and 89.2, total ash 15.0 and 12.6, insoluble ash 7.9 and 3.5, soluble ash 7.1 and 9.1, ether extract 1.5 and 1.3, crude fibre 24.2 and 26.8, crude protein 14.0 and 15.3 and nitrogen-free extract 45.3 and 44.0%, respectively. The silage was fairly palatable with a DM intake of 2.3 ñ 0.15 kg/100 kg bodyweight and had digestible crude protein 4.29 ñ 0.148%, total digestible nutrients 51.88 ñ 0.671%, digestible energy 0.964 ñ 0.136 MJ/100 g and metabolizable energy 0.790 ñ 0.111 MJ/100 g. Digestibility of crude protein and ether extract were significantly lower and that of crude fibre significantly higher in the silage group than in the hay group. Mean daily bodyweight gain over 39 days was 188 g with silage and 782 g with hay. Blood picture in all cattle was within the normal range. Calves given silage were in positive calcium and phosphorus balance but in negative nitrogen balance. It is concluded that the silage on its own does not meet requirements for growing calves, but being fairly palatable may be used with appropriate supplementation. The high concentration of total oxalic acid present in paddy straw was greatly reduced after ensiling it with the byproducts and wastes.