EFFECT OF FEEDING SUPPLEMENT FREQUENCY ON RUMEN FUNCTION AND DRY MATTER DIGESTIBILITY

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding supplement frequency on rurnen fiinction and dry matter digestibility of ruminant. Three male fistulated buffaloes were used in this experiment. Roadside grass was fed to the animal as basal diet, and drinking water was available whole day. The experiment was design in a 3 X 3 randomized Latin Square. Feeding trial during the period of experiment was as follow: (A) grass ad libilum as control; (B) grass ad Iibilum + single fed of 400 grams supplement/head/day; (C) grass ad libilum + 200 grams supplement/head before feeding + 200 grams supplement/head/ day on mid day. pH, N-NH3, TVFA, microbial synthesis and dry matter digestibility were recorded in each period and analyzed in a Latin square 3 X 3 design. The result indicated that microbial synthesis and dry matter digestibility are higher in twice a day supplementation as compare once a day supplementation (B). However, animal that had once a day supplementation significantly (P<.01) has microbial synthesis and dry matter digestibility higher to that control animal.