THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO

W. L. Johnson, Former Graduate Assistant, UP Cornell Graduate
Education Program, Facuhad de Zootecnia, Universidad Agraria, La Molina
Lima Peru
W. A. Hardison, UNDP/FAO Consultant, Dairy Training Research Institute,
College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
A.L. Ordoveza, Dairy Specialist, Dairy Training Research Institute,
College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
L. S. Castillo, Associate Professor, Dairy Training Research Institute,
College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
Nine metabolism trials were conducted during the wet and
early dry seasons of 1965 and 1966 in the Philippines.
Panicum maximum (guinea grass) at growth stages of 5 to
10 weeks was fed as the sole ration to growing Holstein
(Bos taurus) and water buffalo (Bualus bubalis) bulls. In
both seasons the amount of nitrogen consumed, absorbed
and retained decreased with advancing maturity of the
grass. Nitrogen intake, absorption and retention were all
higher for the water buffaloes in both years, however, only
the differences between animal species noted during the
1995 trials were statistically significant. Retained nitrogen
was significantly correlated with consumed nitrogen,
absorbed nitrogen, crude protein digestibility, digestible
protein intake, feed water intake, total water intake and
insensible water loss. It is indicated that herbage containing
more than six percent protein (with a crude digestibility
coefficient greater than 47.5 percent) must be consumed to
insure positive nitrogen balance in the growing ruminant,
whenever that herbage is unsupplemented in the ration.
Keywords: cattle, nitrogen balance, nutritive value,
Panicum maximum, water buffaloes
* Philippine Journal of Veterinary and Animal Science.
1967-1968 (1968) v. 4 and 5 p. 73-78.
F-7
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE COMPOSITION OF
THE RUMEN LIQUOR BETWEEN CARABAO
(BUBALUS BUBALIS) AND CATTLE (BOS TAURUS)*
T. J. Aranas, Senior Researcher, Dairy Training and Research Institute,
College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
P. L. Lopez, Professor, Department of Animal Science, College of
Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
Two separate feeding trials were conducted using two
carabaos and two Holstein cattle to determine the effect of
stage of maturity (60 and 90-day) of napier grass and
frequency of feeding (once and twice) on the chemical
composition of the rumen liquor. Another two trials were
conducted using only two carabaos to determine the effect
of concentrate supplementation in a rice straw diet and the
time of concentrate supplementation during rice straw/silage
feeding. Samples of rumen liquor were obtained from each
animals specified time interval after 10 days feed.
FEEDING AND NUTRITION
Composition between carabao and cattle in term of their
efficiency in utilizing napier grass at different ages showed
that based on the averages, the pH was the same for both
species, regardless of the type of feeding system observed
(trials I and II). Total nitrogen (N) was consistently higher for
carabao than cattle and this is true too for nonprotein nitrogen
(NPN) and ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) when fed 90-day
napier grass. However, with 60-day napier grass, there is
practically no difference in NPN and NH 3 -N for both species.
In terms of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), cattle was slightly
higher in concentration than carabao, particularly, with 90day
napier grass. The pH increased with concentrate feeding
particularly during the first 3-hours, returning to normal with
time (trial III). Concentration of total nitrogen (TN) was about
the same during the rice straw and concentrate feeding.
Although, the average NPN increased when concentrate
was given after one hour in a rice straw diet. The average
urea-N concentration decreased under similar feeding while
NH 3 -N increased markedly by almost 100%. Total volatile
fatty acid was slightly higher with rice straw feeding. A peak
in TN concentration was observed within 30 min. from
feeding of silage, decreasing thereafter with time. Similar
trend was observed in NPN while the peak of urea-N,
NH 3 -N and TVFA was observed at 3 hours from feeding.
The pH increased within one hour with concentrate
supplementation (trial IV) but decreased markedly with time,
returning to normal within 6 hours from feeding. The average
TN concentration was higher when the animals was fed rice
straw than concentrate. The average NPN concentration
was higher with concentrate feeding. Urea-N in concentration
form 0 to 2 hours from feeding rice straw and up to 4 hours
from feeding of concentrate. The average NH 3 -N was more
than 3x higher in concentrate feeding than in rice straw
feeding. Total VFA was slightly higher in rice strawconcentrate
diet.
Keywords: carabaos, Holstein cattle, napier grass, rumen
liquor
* Philippine Journal of Veterinary and Animal Science.
1978 v. 4 (1). p. 32-41.
F-8
THE FEEDING VALUE OF HIGH-MOISTURE CORN
AS A SUPPLEMENT TO RICE STRAW-MOLASSES
SILAGE IN FEEDLOT FATTENING OF CARABAO*
G. B. Asunto, Former Undergraduate Student, Department Animal
Husbandry, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
L. S. Castillo, Associate Professor, Department Animal Husbandry, College
of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
Ten male carabaos of approximately 24 to 36 months of
age are fattened for a period of 137 days. Trials were also
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