
	Journal of Biological Sciences
	Year: 2002 \| Volume: 2 \| Issue: 1 \| Page No.: 49-52 DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2002.49.52

Study on Voluntary Intake and Digestibility of Banana Foliage as a Cattle Feed

M. M. Rahman and K. S. Huque

Abstract: The fresh and chopped banana plants were compared with that of the ensiled materials having them fed to mature bulls. Sixteen (16) young bulls approximately 3 years of age and weighing approx. 370 kg were used. The bulls were divided into 4 groups and were randomly allocated to the experimental diets e.g., T1 = banana pseudostem ensiled with 5% molasses, T2 = banana pseudostem ensiled with 5% molasses and 10% straw, T3 = chopped fresh banana pseudostem with 5% molasses, T4 = urea (3%)-molasses (15%)-straw (82%). All the diets were enriched with 3% urea. All the animals received 60 g/d of mineral 4 supplement including sodium sulphate and dicalcium phosphate. The daily average dry matter intake in percent live weight was 1.33, 2.73, 1.20 and 2.50, respectively. Dry matter digestibility was significantly (p<0.01) higher in the T2 (78%) fed animals than T1 (59%), T3 (65%) and T4 (62%). In T2 and T3 diets NH3 -N concentration were relatively high which ranged from 54.87 to 238.56 mg/L and 42.15 to 188.47 mg/L, respectively. The 48 h in sacco degradability of washed straw in response to feeding T1 , T2 and T3 diets were 50, 51 and 51%, respectively. The ME intake was significantly (p<0.01) higher in T2 (1300 KJ/kg W0.75 /d) than that of T3 (945 KJ/kg W0.75 /d), T4 (498 KJ/kg W0.75 /d) or T3 (515 KJ/kg W0.75 /d). It may be concluded that both the preserved and fresh chopped banana whole plants had digestibility of 59 to 78% and their intake in native bull ranged from 1.20 to 2.73% live weight.

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How to cite this article:

M. M. Rahman and K. S. Huque , 2002. Study on Voluntary Intake and Digestibility of Banana Foliage as a Cattle Feed . Journal of Biological Sciences, 2: 49-52.

DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2002.49.52

URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jbs.2002.49.52

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