EFFECT OF FEEDING WHOLE MAIZE SILAGE WITH SOME FEED ADDITIVES ON FATTENING BUFFALO CALVES.

Sixty four buffalo calves averaged 307.4 ± 10.99 kg live body weight were assigned to evaluate the effect of supplementing rations of buffalo calves with yeast culture and enzyme on nutrient digestibility, nutritive values, some blood parameters, daily gain and feed conversion. Buffalo calves were divided into four similar experimental groups and fed the same basal ration but differed in feed additives. Calves in the 1st group were fed a basal ration containing 40% concentrate fed mixture, 40% corn silage and 20% rice straw without additives (control). Calves in the 2nd and 3rd groups were fed the same basal ration supplemented with either 10 g enzyme/ head /day (Fibrozyme containing 100XU/g xylanase) or 10 g yeast culture/ head /day (Yea-Sacc containing 108 cells of Saccharomyces cerevesiae/g), respectively. While those of the 4th group, were fed the same basal ration supplemented with (5g yeast + 5g Enzyme)/ head /day. Feeding period lasted for 116 days. At the end of the feeding trials, four digestibility trials using 12 buffalo calves, three in each trial, were conducted to determine nutrients digestibility coefficients and feeding values of the four experimental rations. Blood parameters, feed utilization and economic efficiency were also studied. Results showed that calves fed rations supplemented with both 10g yeast , 10g Enzyme and 5g yeast plus 5g Enzyme improved (P<0.05) most nutrients digestibilities and feeding values as TDN compared with control ration, as well as blood parameters. Daily gain , feed conversion and economic efficiency were the highest (P<0.05) for calves fed ration supplemented with 5g yeast plus 5g Enzyme (R4) being 1.19,10.30 and 1.87, respectively .It could be concluded that animals fed ration supplemented with feed additives attained to have higher daily gain, reduced feed cost and improved of feed and economical efficiency . Moreover, animals fed ration supplemented with enzyme plus yeast culture recorded the highest performance followed by those fed yeast culture or enzyme supplemented rations alone.