The effect on intake digestibility and microbial protein production of adding urea to rice straw for cattle and buffalo calves

Livestock Science
Volume 150, Issue 1 , Pages 111-113, December 2012

http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci/article/S1871-1413(12)00318-6/abstract

• Vo Thi Kim Thanh

Department of Animal Physiology, University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue, Thua Thien Hue 84, Vietnam

Received 14 March 2012; received in revised form 11 August 2012; accepted 13 August 2012. published online 10 September 2012.

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Abstract 

Four cattle calves (Boss indicus) of average weight 120kg and four swamp buffaloes calves of average weight 220kg were fed four rice straw diets in a Latin square design. The rice straw were sprayed with 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% of urea and givenad libitum. Each period was 15 days during the last 5 days of which urine and faeces were collected. Urine samples were analysed for excretion of purine derivatives (PD) to measure microbial protein production.

There was no significant effect on intake of rice straw which was 3.1, 3.4, 3.1 and 3.1 kgDM/day for cattle and 4.5, 4.5, 4.5 and 4.6kgDM/day for buffalo. Rumen NH₃ concentrations were 39, 60, 70 and 96mg/l for cattle and 51, 81, 102 and 132mg/l for buffalo with significant difference. However the PD excretion in the urine was not significantly changed being 0.28, 0.19, 0.18 and 0.23mmol/kgW^0.75 for cattle and as expected lower for buffaloes being 0.13, 0.11, 0.12 and 0.11mmol/kgW^0.75. The dry matter digestibilities for cattle were 57.1, 60.3, 58.3 and 60.7 while for buffalo the digestibilities were 60.7, 57.4, 59.6 and 60.2.

The results suggest that the rice straw containing 6% protein and digestibility between 57% and 60% provided sufficient crude protein for microbial needs.

Keywords: Urea supplementation, Rice straw, Rumen microorganisms, Purine excretion, Cattle, Buffaloes

Effect of Temperature and Humidity on Heat Stress Responses in Vietnamese Yellow Cattle

http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1860e/i1860e.pdf

SUSTAINABLE IMPROVEMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH

Edited by N.E. Odongo, M. Garcia & G.J. Viljoen
Animal Production and Health Subprogramme
Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture,
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications,
International Atomic Agency, Vienna, Austria

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 2010

Effect of Temperature and Humidity on Heat Stress Responses in Vietnamese Yellow Cattle
V.T.K. Thanh  & W. Shichang 

ABSTRACT
Four female cattle (local Yellow breed), eight months of age, were  fed a diet of 50% urea-treated and 50% untreated rice straw  ad libitum, with free access to water. The levels of ambient temperature/ relative humidity (RH) were random combinations of 25, 29, 35 and  39°C and 70, 80 and 90% RH, achieved in an experimental chamber  fitted with air conditioners, heaters and ultrasonic humidifiers. The treatments were based on the natural conditions which frequently  occur in an indoor animal house in Central Vietnam in summer. Feed  intake decreased linearly while water intake increased with increasing ambient temperature. Heart rate increased in direct proportion to the air temperature but was not affected by RH levels. Body temperature only increased when the chamber temperature reached  39°C and RH was 90%, while respiration rate increased when the ambient temperate exceeded 35°C. Measurements of HSP70 (heat
shock protein, a biochemical stress indicator) from leukocytes using  PCR showed that HSP70 was evident when RH reached 90% with an  ambient temperature of 25°C, or with an RH of 70% and an ambient
temperature of 39°C.
Key words: Yellow cattle, heat stress, physiology indexes, HSP70.

Differences in adaptation to tropical weather between buffaloes and cattle

http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/ijas.2007.s2.1340
Differences in adaptation to tropical weather between buffaloes and cattle

Vo Thi Kim Thanh1, Wang Shi Chang2

1 Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. Vietnam

2 Guangxi University, China

Corresponding author: Vo Thi Kim Thanh. Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. Vietnam. 

Submitted: 2010-02-03 16:20:55
Published: 2010-02-03 16:21:04
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Abstract

Twenty buffaloes and twenty Vietnamese yellow cattle from peri-urban Hue city were kept indoor and used for measurement of effect of environmental temperature (To) and humidity (H%). The To and H% were recorded by thermo-hygrometers for temperature and humidity index (THI) measurement. Breathing rate was observed by moving rate of diaphragm, heart beat rhythms was calculated by stethoscope around 3 to 4 ribs and body To tested by 42oC thermo-meters in animal rectums. The results showed that the To in the area studied varied widely during the day and when To increased H% often decreased. During the study period the average To changed from 24oC in February to 39oC in May. The H% varied from 57 to 86. The environmental To and H% had very little effect on body To for both types of animals (37oC to 39oC) but there were changes in heart beat from 42 to 45 in cattle but from 44 to 57 in buffaloes. In warmest period with high H% (THI 83) breathing rates in cattle varied from 18 to 21 while in buffaloes from 20 to 35 and in May it increased to 50. At the warmest time of the day the heart beat in cattle were 42 while in buffaloes 57. The breathing rate in cattle only increased when ambient To was above 39 degrees. The results clearly showed that buffaloes were easily stressed when To and H% increased. Buffaloes need water and swamps to help to avoid heat stress while indigenous cattle are much better adapted to high environmental To and H%.

Key words: Temperature, Humidity, Buffaloes, Cattle.

Physiological mechanism of low purine derivative excretion in urine of buffaloes compared with Bos taurus cattle

http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/EA08287.htm

Physiological mechanism of low purine derivative excretion in urine of buffaloes compared with Bos taurus cattle

Vo Thi Kim Thanh ^A D, E. R. Orskov ^B, P. Susmel <sup>C 

A</sup> Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, 102 Phung Hung, Hue City, Vietnam. ^B Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen AB158QH, UK. ^C Udine University, Via S. Mauro, 2 – 33010 Pagnacco, Udine, Italy. ^D Corresponding author. Email: votkthanh@gmail.com 

Animal Production Science 49(11) 994–997      http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EA08287
Submitted: 24 November 2008    Accepted: 26 May 2009    Published online: 14 October 2009

Abstract

Three cattle calves (Bos taurus) and three buffalo calves (Bos bubalus) were weaned after receiving colostrum and then reared on bottle-fed milk. During the first month the animals did not have access to solid food. Urinary purine derivative concentration (PD), basal PD excretion and glomerular filtrate rate (GFR) were determined during fasting and feeding. After 1 month the animals were given access to solid feed (urea-treated rice straw 80% and molasses 20%) to stimulate rumen development. At 3 months of age, while the solid food was given, urinary PD, basal PD excretion and GFR were again determined.

Urinary PD excretion both during fasting and milk feeding did not differ significantly between buffaloes and cattle during the milk-feeding period (P > 0.05), but there were highly significant (P < 0.01) differences between cattle and buffaloes after 3 months of age and 2 months of access to solid feed (P< 0.01). The GFR was lower in buffaloes than cattle in both the milk-fed and solid-feed periods (P < 0.05).

It is suggested that the differences between buffaloes and cattle are due to differences in GFR as PD will stay longer in the blood and thus provide a greater possibility for recycling to the rumen. This, however, needs further confirmation. Whether permeability of PD from blood to rumen is an additional factor is not known.