Effect of Exogenous Fibrolytic Enzyme Supplementation with or Without Urea-treated Wheat Straw-based Ration on Growth Performance of Murrah Buffalo Calves
Yashesh Singh
*
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Nazim Ali
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
D S Sahu
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Debashis Roy
Department of Animal Nutrition, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Ahmad Fahim
Department of Livestock Production Management, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Gulab Chandra
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Koushlesh Ranjan
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Rishabh Singh
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Shalu Singh
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Sonu Singh
Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
Moh. Faiz
Department of Animal Nutrition, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P.-250110, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The combined use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes and urea-treated wheat straw may further improve fibre degradation and nutrient availability beyond the effects achieved by either strategy alone. However, limited information is available on their influence on the growth performance of Murrah buffalo calves, necessitating systematic investigation. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) supplementation with or without urea-treated wheat straw (UTWS) based ration on the growth performance of Murrah buffalo calves. Twenty-four growing Murrah buffalo calves aged 8–12 months, with an average body weight of 129.45±0.14 kg, and were randomly divided into four treatment groups of six animals each for a period of 120 days. Two total mixed rations (TMRs) were prepared using untreated wheat straw and urea-treated wheat straw as dry roughage sources, with a 20:40:40 ratio of green fodder, dry roughage, and concentrate mixture, respectively. Treatment groups consisted of T1 (normal TMR), T2 (normal TMR supplemented with cellulase and xylanase enzymes at 8,000 and 16,000 IU/kg DM, respectively), T3 (UTWS-based TMR), and T4 (UTWS- based TMR with enzyme supplementation). Body weight, body weight gain, dry matter intake, and feed conversion ratio were recorded during the experimental period. The Mean body weight was higher in T4 (150.07 kg) followed by T3 (148.22 kg), T2 (148.10 kg) and T1 (150.07 kg). Mean body weight gain was significantly higher (P<0.05) in T4 (0.361 kg/day) compared to T1 (0.284 kg/day), whereas T2 and T3 showed intermediate performance. Dry matter intake was also significantly improved (P<0.05) in supplemented groups, with the higher intake observed in T4 (3.67 kg/day). Feed conversion ratio was significantly improved (P<0.05) in calves receiving UTWS and enzyme supplementation, with the lowest FCR recorded in T4 (10.29). Mean body condition score (BCS) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in supplemented groups, with the highest value observed in T4 (2.91), followed by T3 (2.84), T2 (2.75), and T1 (2.67). The results indicated that supplementation of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes along with urea-treated wheat straw - based ration improved feed intake, growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in Murrah buffalo calves. Therefore, incorporation of EFE with UTWS- based TMR may serve as an effective nutritional strategy for enhancing growth performance and utilization of low-quality fibrous feeds in growing buffalo calves.
Keywords: Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, growth performance, Murrah buffalo calves, urea - treated wheat straw