Ruminal Volatile Fatty Acids, Total Sugars, Milk Yield and Quality of Dairy Cows Fed Water Hyacinth [Eichhornia Crassipes (Mart.) Solms] and Banana (Musa Sp.) Pseudostem

Caren R. Tumambing, Maria Karina P. Degoma, Thalia J. Bacorro, Elsie Erika C. Abes, Gleeza L. Manulat, Teofila DC. Villar, Amado A. Angeles

Abstract

Ruminally cannulated Holstein Friesian x Sahiwal dairy cows were fed diets containing Napier grass (NG), 40% water hyacinth (WH) and 40% banana pseudostem (BP) following a 3×3 Latin Square Design. Rumen fluid samples collected after feeding were analyzed for volatile fatty acids and total sugars using gas chromatography and phenol-sulfuric acid methods, respectively. Average daily milk yield and quality (crude fat, crude protein, total solids) were determined. Results showed that propionic acid (19.62-25.74 mmol/l) was significantly different (P<0.05) while acetic acid (43.58-60.26 mmol/l) and butyric acid (10.74-15.91 mmol/l), total sugars (1.39-1.79 mg/ml), average daily milk yield (9.09-9.33 l/d), milk fat (3.21-4.39%), solids not fat (8.22-8.82%), total solids (11.83-12.98%) and crude protein (3.12-3.33%) were not significantly different (P>0.05) for cows fed with diets containing NG, WH and BP. These results suggest that WH and BP can be fed at 40% without any effect on rumen metabolism and milk yield and quality.

Source:
Philipp J Vet Anim Sci 2019 45(2):140-145
http://www.pjvas.org/index.php/pjvas/article/view/233/206