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Four rumen-fistulated dairy steers, 3 years old with 180 ± 15 kg body weight (BW), were randomly assigned according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate on the effect of Flemingia macrophylla hay meal (FMH) and cassava hay meal (CH) supplementation on rumen fermentation efficiency and estimated methane production. The treatments were as follows: T1 = non-supplement, T2 = CH supplementation at 150 g/head/day, T3 = FMH supplementation at 150 g/head/day, and T4 = CH + FMH supplementation at 75 and 75 g/head/day. All steers were fed rice straw ad libitum and concentrate was offered at 0.5 % of BW. Results revealed that supplementation of CH and/or FMH did not affect on feed intake (P > 0.05) while digestibility of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber were increased especially in steers receiving FMH and CH+FMH (P < 0.05). Ruminal pH, temperature, and blood urea nitrogen were similar among treatments while ammonia nitrogen was increased in all supplemented groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, propionic acid (C3) was increased while acetic acid (C2), C2:C3 ratio, and estimated methane production were decreased by dietary treatments. Protozoa and fungi population were not affected by dietary supplement while viable bacteria count increased in steers receiving FMH. Supplementation of FMH and/or FMH+CH increased microbial crude protein and efficiency of microbial nitrogen supply. This study concluded FMH (150 g/head/day) and/or CH+FMH (75 and 75 g/head/day) supplementation could be used as a rumen enhancer for increasing nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation efficiency, and microbial protein synthesis while decreasing estimated methane production without adverse effect on voluntary feed intake of dairy steers fed rice straw.

Four Thai male native beef cattle, initial body weight (BW) of 100 ± 3.0 kg were randomly assigned in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to receive four dietary treatments with inclusion of urea calcium sulphate mixture (U-cas) in feed block (FB) at 0, 120, 150, and 180 g/kg dry matter (DM). Total intakes were increased with the increasing level of U-cas supplementation in FB and the result obtained the highest when supplementation of U-cas in FB at 180, followed by 150, 120, and 0 g/kg DM, respectively. Moreover, supplementation of U-cas in FB at 180 g/kg DM could reduce total N excretion (4.1 g/day), as compared to others treatments, while N retention and proportion of N retention to N intake were increased up to 6.9 g/day and 14.9 %, respectively. On the other hand, the blood biochemistry and hematological parameters were not different among treatments except concentration of plasma urea N, plasma glucose, and total blood protein were improved especially with U-cas supplementation at 180 g/kg DM in FB. In conclusion, supplementation of U-cas at 180 g/kg in FB improved feed intake, N utilization, and blood biochemistry in Thai native beef cattle fed on rice straw.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sweet potato vine pellet (SWEPP) in concentrate diets on nutrient digestibility and rumen ecology in lactating dairy cows fed on urea-treated rice straw. Three multiparous Holstein crossbred cows in mid-lactation were randomly assigned according to a 3 × 3 Latin square design, and the treatments were as follows: T1 = control (no supplementation), T2 = supplementation of sweet potato vine pellet with 50 g/kg urea (SWEPP I) at 300 g/head/day, and T3 = supplementation of sweet potato pellet with 100 g/kg urea (SWEPP II) at 300 g/head/day, in concentrate diets, respectively. The result revealed that supplementation of SWEPP did not affect feed intake, ruminal pH, and blood urea nitrogen (P > 0.05). However, apparent digestibilities of organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber were higher in SWEPP II than those in others. Furthermore, ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH(3)-N) and milk yield were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in animals fed with SWEPP II than those fed with SWEPP I and control, respectively. In addition, there were no differences in purine derivatives and microbial nitrogen supply among all the treatments. Based on this study, it could be concluded that SWEPP is a good source of supplement which resulted in significant improvement in apparent digestibility, rumen fermentation, and milk yield in lactating dairy cows fed on urea-treated rice straw.

Four Thai native beef cattle were randomly assigned according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of urea calcium sulphate mixture (U-cas) levels in feed block on feed intake, apparent digestibility of nutrients and rumen fermentation fed on rice straw based diet. The four dietary treatments were different levels of U-cas supplementation in feed block at 0, 120, 150 and 180 g/kg dry matter (DM), respectively. The present results revealed that rice straw intake increased with the increasing levels of U-cas inclusion in the feed block. The highest total intakes of DM and energy (ME, MJ/d) were in cattle receiving feed block containing U-cas at 180 g/kg DM, and followed by 150, 120 and 0 g/kg DM, respectively. Apparent digestibility of nutrients enhanced the increasing levels of U-cas supplementation in feed blocks, except acid detergent fiber. Rumen pH and temperature were not affected by U-cas levels inclusion in feed block. At 4 h post feeding, the concentration of ruminal ammonia nitrogen decreased with increasing levels of U-cas in feed blocks (P<0.05). Inclusion of U-cas at 180 g/kg DM in the feed block increased the ruminal propionic acid concentration at 4 h post feeding while ratio of acetic: propionic acid and acetic plus butyric: propionic acid were lower than those in other groups (P<0.05). Inclusion of U-cas at 180 g/kg DM as a slow release urea source in the feed block resulted in improving feeding value of the diets as rice straw base in Thai native beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]