Paddy Straw Pelletization with other Feedstuffs and its In Vitro Evaluation as Livestock Feed Bakshi M.P.S.*, Wadhwa M. Department of Animal Nutrition, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana-141 004, Punjab, India *Corresponding author: bakshimps2@gmail.com
Online published on 13 April, 2022. Abstract This study was taken up to pelletize paddy straw with other feedstuffs and to assess up to what extent paddy straw can be incorporated in such pellets and their nutritional evaluation by in vitro gas production technique. The sundried paddy straw and alfalfa hay were ground in a hammer mill and lifted in a bucket elevator to the mixer where these feedstuffs were mixed with rice bran and molasses and pellets were prepared in pellet mill fitted with 8mm stationary die. Pellets containing paddy straw up to 90% were prepared successfully, but beyond 60% paddy straw there was excessive load on the machine and supporting motor. Therefore, pellets containing paddy straw up to 60% were evaluated by in vitro gas production technique. With the increase in the level of paddy straw in pellets, the ash and ADF content increased linearly (P<0.01), while OM, CP, and EE contents decreased (P<0.01). The NDF, hemicellulose and cellulose contents remained similar up to 30% paddy straw in the pellets; thereafter these constituents increased (P<0.01) linearly. Compared to pellets without paddy straw (control), the total ash, NDF, ADF and cellulose content increased by 19.5, 29.5, 31.6 and 35.8% in pellets containing 60% paddy straw. The bulk density of paddy straw-based pellets varied between 560.33 to 655.35 kg/m3, and it increased with the increase in paddy straw level and was highest (P<0.01) in pellets containing 60% rice straw. The in vitro fermentation of pellets resulted in a linear decrease (P<0.01) in net gas production (NGP), true OM digestibility and availability of ME with the increase in the level of paddy straw in the pellets. However, the partitioning factor and ammonia concentration increased (P<0.01). The results revealed that total VFA production in control pellets was comparable to those containing paddy straw up to 30%, but decreased (P<0.05) in pellets containing paddy straw at 45 and 60% levels. The individual VFA production was not affected by the level of paddy straw, except that of acetate, which was depressed (P<0.05) in pellets containing more than 15% paddy straw. The microbial biomass synthesis decreased (P<0.05) with the increase in the level of paddy straw in pellets. The pellets containing 70, 80 or 90% paddy straw cannot be fed exclusively to any category of ruminants because of very low CP and EE content and do not meet the recommended levels of these nutrients in the complete feed of low yielders. It was concluded that paddy straw could be pelletized successfully; best results on net gas production, digestibility of nutrients, VFA production, microbial biomass production and ME were obtained in pellets containing paddy straw up to 30%. Top Keywords In vitro, Nutritional evaluation, Paddy straw, Pellets. Top |