EFFECTS OF UREA-MOLASSES TREATED WHEAT STRAW FERMENTED WITH RUMEN DIGESTA ON THE PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF LACTATING NILI-RAVI BUFFALOES

Background and Objectives: A research investigation was conducted involving a cohort of nine multiparous early lactating Nili Ravi buffaloes, employing a randomized complete block design to ensure a systematic approach. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the influen ce of different levels of urea molasses treated wheat straw, which was ensiled with bovine rumen digesta, on various parameters. These parameters included the intake of nutrients, the digestibility of those nutrients, nitrogen balance, overall milk product ion, and the compositional elements of the milk produced by the buffaloes. The findings aimed to provide insights into how dietary interventions might improve the health and productivity of these animals during the early stages of lactation. Methodology: W heat straw was mixed with rumen digesta at an 80:20 dry matter DM ratio. A solution of 4% urea and 4% molasses was applied to this mixture, which was then sealed and allowed to ferment for 21 days. Three iso caloric and iso nitrogenous diets were created w ith varying fermented wheat straw FWS levels: 0%, 50%, and 70% designated as FWS 0, FWS 50, and FWS 70, respectively. The FWS 0 and FWS 50 diets maintained a forage to concentrate ratio of 50:50, while FWS 70 had this ratio changed to 70:30 by substituting 20% of the concentrate with FWS. Each treatment was assigned to three buffaloes, and the experiment lasted for 120 days. Results:Buffaloes on the FWS 50 diet had significantly greater P<0.05 DM and crude protein CP intake compared to those on the other d iets . In the course of this study, it was observed that individuals adhering to the FWS 70 diet demonstrated a higher intake of both neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) when compared to participants on other dietary regimens. The d ifferences in fiber consumption among the groups were statistically significant, with a p value of less than 0.05. This suggests that the FWS 70 diet is associated with increased fiber intake, highlighting its unique impact on dietary fiber consumption com pared to the other diets evaluated. The highest DM digestibility was noted in the FWS 50 group, with similar findings observed for CP, NDF, and ADF digestibility. Nitrogen balance was also greater P<0.05 for the FWS 50 and FWS 70 groups compared to FWS 0. Milk yield, 4% fat corrected milk, lactose percentage, solids not fat, total solids, and blood urea nitrogen levels showed no significant differences across the diets. The FWS 50 and FWS 70 groups showed significantly higher percentages of milk fat and mil k protein (P<0.05) when compared to the FWS 0 group. Milk yield and 4% fat corrected milk were comparable for buffaloes given FWS 0 and FWS 70 diets. Conclusion: The results indicate that fermenting wheat straw treated with urea and molasses alongside rume n digesta improves nutrient absorption, digestibility, and nitrogen retention, while also boosting the percentages of milk fat and protein. Furthermore, it indicates that buffaloes can achieve similar milk production by substituting up to 20% of concentrat e with FWS.