The replacement value of canola meal for soybean meal in growing buffalo claves rations [electronic resource].

Includes references.

This work was undertaken at Seds Experimental Station, Animal Production Research Institute during (2004) to study the effect of total or partial substitution of soybean meal (SBM) by canola meal (CM) as protein supplementation in rations of growing buffalo calves. Three isonitrogenous concentrate feed mixtures (CFMs) were formulated by using 100% SBM, 50% SBM+ 50% CM and 100% CM as main protein sources. These CFMs were fed to three similar groups of growing buffalo calves of an average body weight of 116.38:!: 0.28 kg and of 3-4 months of age. Calves were fed a daily ration as 2.25% of the body weight CFM + 1% brseem hay (BH). Rice straw (RS) was offered ad lib. The experiment lasted for 140 days. Digestibility trials using acid insoluble ash (AlA) method were conducted at the middle of the experimental period to evaluate the consumed rations, using three calves for each group. Animals were biweekly weighed and the average daily gain (ADG) was calculated. The results showed that CM was lower in CP and higher in CF and EE than SBM, being 38.2% vs 42.2%, 13.07 vs 3.4% and 8.24% vs 2.4%, respectively. The ration which contained 50% SBM plus 50% CM as protein supplements (R2) showed better OM, OM and CF digestibility coefficients than the other two rations containing either 100% SBM (R1) or 100% CM (R3). This ration also resulted in better ADG (1.026kg) and feed conversion (OM intake/kg gain), 5.688 kg than the other two rations (R1 and R2) which showed 0.980, 0.978 kg ADG and 5.912, 5.762 kg feed conversion respectively. Utilization of R2 was also better than the other rations since it significantly (P<0.05) showed better NH3-N and VFA's in the rumen fluid than the other two rations. These results might be due to a complementary effect between SBM and CM. Blood serum and rumen fluid parameters showed that feeding CM was nutritionally adequate safe on growing buffalo calves performance and health. Using CM as protein supplement was cheaper than SBM and decrease the dependence on soybean meal importation. Moreover CM can decreased the gap of CP shortage in Egypt.

Summary in Arabic.

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