Effect of Feeding Probiotic Mixture with Untreated or Urea Treated Wheat Straw on Nutrient Utilization in Growing Crossbred Males

Nine crossbred males (15–18 months age, 123.78 kg BW) were divided into three similar groups and fed untreated wheat straw (T1); untreated wheat straw plus probiotic (T2) and urea treated wheat straw plus probiotic (T3). Digestibility of nutrients was significantly higher in group T3, resulting in higher nutritive value of ration T3 in terms of DCP, TDN, DE and ME followed by those of T and T. The DMI (kg/day) was significantly higher in group T than in groups T and T and variation between later groups was not-significant. Intake of DE and ME was highest in group T3 followed by T2 and T 1 and variation among groups was significant. Total water intake was significantly higher in group T3 than that in groups T2 and T 1. The ADG was significantly higher in group T3 than in other groups. From these results it may be concluded that nutrient utilization was enhanced by supplementing the wheat straw based ration with probiotic, which was further enhanced on using the urea-ammoniation of wheat straw. Thus, supplementation of urea treated wheat straw may be recommended with probiotic for its optimum utilization in the ration of growing crossbred males.