Nutritive value of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) as a feed for ruminants: in sacco degradability and in vitro gas production.

Replacement of conventional feedstuffs with inexpensive and non-conventional ingredients such as quinoa may improve animal performance and the quality of their products. Quinoa supplementation is believed to have a good nutritive value as a ruminant feed, but evidence is scarce. The present experiment aimed to evaluate the nutritive value of whole, dried quinoa plant (Chenopodium quinoa) as a feed for ruminants. In the first experiment, the in sacco technique was used to evaluate nutrient disappearance and fermentation kinetics of quinoa. In the second experiment, the in vitro gas production technique was used to evaluate diets with substitution of clover hay with quinoa at 0 (Q0), 15 (Q15), 30 (Q30), and 45% (Q45) of the diets. Proximate analysis showed that quinoa contained about 18.6% crude protein (CP) with oleic acid, arachic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid as the major fatty acids. The in sacco degradability showed that the "a" fraction of dry matter (DM) was low, while the fraction "b" was high for DM and CP. Replacing clover hay with quinoa did not affect gas or methane production; however, Q30 treatment quadratically increased (P < 0.05) its production. It is concluded that quinoa can be used as a feed for ruminants and can replace clover hay up to 45% in the diet.

Date press cake replaces corn grains in the diet of lactating Egyptian buffaloes and Barki rams.

High prices of corn grains due to their shortage in some regions force researcher to explore nonconventional alternatives. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing corn grains at 25% (dry matter (DM) basis) with date press cake (DPC) without/with exogenous enzymes at 2 L/ton feed in diets of Barki sheep (24 rams divided as 6 rams/treatment) and Egyptian buffaloes (16 buffaloes divided as 4 buffalo/treatment). Each experiment was conducted under 4 treatments regime: control diet containing only corn grains, T1 diet where the control diet supplemented with exogenous enzyme, T2 diet where the control diet contained DPC on corn replacement (25% DM basis), and T3 diet where the control diet contained DPC on corn replacement (25% DM basis) along with exogenous enzyme supplement. The control diet contained concentrate feed mixture, corn silage, and rice straw at 50:40:10, respectively. Data on nutrient intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance in sheep, as well as on blood parameters, milk production, and composition in buffaloes, were analyzed using the PROC GLM/MIXED procedure of SAS. The sheep under T2 and T3 treatments demonstrated greater digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fibers, along with improved nitrogen balance. The milk yield and its constituents were improved in the buffaloes under T3 treatment followed by those buffaloes under T2 and T1 treatments. This investigation could conclude that replacing corn grains with DPC at 25% (DM basis) in ruminant diets had beneficial effects on nutrients digestibility and milk yield along with its composition.

Response of primiparous and multiparous buffaloes to yeast culture supplementation during early and mid-lactation.

Strains of live Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast have exhibited probiotic effects in ruminants. This study investigated the effects of the dietary yeast supplement, S. cerevisiae (Yea-Sacc1026), on primiparous (PP) and multiparous (MP) Egyptian buffaloes in early to mid-lactation. Lactating buffaloes were fed either a basal total mixed ration (TMR, control; 4 PP and 8 MP) or the basal TMR plus 10 g Yea-Sacc1026 per buffalo cow per day (yeast; 4 PP and 8 MP). The feeds were given from 15 days prepartum to 180 days postpartum. Feed intake, body weight, and milk yields (MY) were recorded, and milk and blood samples were collected for analyses. Feces were collected from days 45 to 47 during early lactation and from days 90 to 92 during mid-lactation to determine apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and crude fiber (CF). Energy corrected milk yield (ECM), feed conversion, and energy and nitrogen conversion efficiency were calculated. Yeast treated MP buffaloes consumed more DM (P ≤ 0.041) and CP than the untreated control group. Apparent digestibility of DM and OM were significantly greater at mid-lactation for treated versus control group (P = 0.001). Crude fiber digestibility was greater in MP than in PP buffaloes (P = 0.049), and yeast supplemented MP cows had a greater CF digestibility than control MP buffaloes at mid-lactation (P = 0.010). Total blood lipids decreased after yeast supplementation (P = 0.029). Milk yields, ECM, fat and protein yields increased for yeast treated MP buffaloes (P ≤ 0.039). The study concluded that the response to yeast supplementation in buffalo cows is parity dependent. Multiparous buffaloes respond to yeast supplementation with an increased DM intake and CF digestibility without significant weight gains, allowing a greater ECM yield with less fat mobilization. Supplementing buffaloes with yeast culture may increase milk production in early lactation and results in a more persistent milk production during mid-lactation. Feed conversion and energy and nitrogen conversion efficiency may be increased with the use of yeast supplementation in Egyptian buffaloes.