Digestibility and Availability of Nutrients from Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide Treated Wheat Straw and Maize Stover in Male Buffalo Calves

Twelve male buffalo calves were used to study the effect of feeding alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treated wheat straw and maize stover in vivo. The animals (2 1/2 and 1 yr for trials 1 and 2) were divided into three egoups with control (T1) fed on untreated straws, T2, AHP treated and T3, urea-fermented-AHP. In T2 the respective crop residues were treated with 1% H O solution containing 4.2% NaOH In Straw: AHP ratio of 1:2 for 6h at room temperature. In T3, urea fermentation (3.5% urea, 40% moisture and 9d stacking) was followed by treatment as in T2. Group T1 had significantly (P<0.05) higher DM intake than in T2 and T3 but the DM and OM digestibilities in T2 and T3 were significantly higher (P<0.05) in both crop residues due to delignification of the crop residues by AHP treatment, however variation between T2 and T3 treatments were nonsignificant. The CP digestibility in T2 treatment was significantly lower than in T1 but in maize stover it was higher in T2 and T3 as compared to T1 even at lower N Intake. Significantly (P<0.05) higher CF, ADF, NDF and cellulose digestibilities in T2 and T3 than T1 were comparable for both the crop residues. Lower nitrogen intake resulted in decreased nitrogen retention in wheat straw but not in maize stover based diet.