The nutritive value of Panicum maximum (Guinea grass) II. Digestibility by cattle and water buffaloes, related to season and herbage growth stage

Abstract

Fifteen digestibility trials were conducted in the wet, early dry, and late dry seasons in the Philippines. Panicum maximum (guinea grass) was fed at growth stages of 1–4 months to Bos taurus (Holstein), Bos indicus (Red Sindhi), and Bos bubalis (water buffalo) bulls.Significant differences were shown between digestibility coefficients from water buffaloes and those from Holstein cattle, the former having a 5–7 % advantage in most cases. Ratios of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid from the two species were not different. Separate tables of digestible protein, TDN and digestible energy values for guinea grass were computed for cattle and water buffaloes.