Nutritional Evaluation of Protein Feed Sources for Ruminant Using in vitro Gas Production Technique

Abstract

Six protein feed sources were used to evaluate nutritive value using the in vitro gasproduction technique. The rumen mixed microbe inoculums were taken from fistulatedBrahman-Thai native crossbred steers. The treatments were 1) kapok seed meal, 2) soybeanmeal, 3) coconut meal, 4) peanut meal 5) whole cotton seed and 6) fish meal and wereassigned to completely randomize design. The results indicated that soluble gas fraction(a; -2.44, -17.08, -22.87, -4.12, 0.60 and -2.88 ml, respectively), fermentation of insolublefraction (b; 37.73, 117.01, 122.87, 89.53, 53.09 and 36.30 ml, respectively), rate of gasproduction (c; 0.089, 0.078, 0.056, 0.066, 0.079 and 0.022%/h, respectively) and potential ofextent of gas production (|a|+b; 40.14, 134.02, 145.74, 93.65, 37.24 and 39.19 ml,respectively) were significantly different (P<0.01) among protein feed sources. Thecumulative gas volumes at 24, 48 and 96 h after incubation were significantly different(P<0.01). These results suggest that coconut meal, soybean meal and peanut meal areexhibited high fermentation in the rumen.