INFLUENCE OF YEAST CULTURE SUPPLEMENTATION ON FEED DIGESTIBILITY, BLOOD CONSTITUENTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF FINISHED CULLED FEMALE BUFFALOES

Twenty-four culled female buffaloes {12 heifers (H) and 12 adult (A)} were used
to evaluate the effects of two types of commercial yeast culture {More yeast (1) and
CenMose (2)1 trade name) on nutrient digestibility, nutritive value. average daily gain.
feed conversion and blood constituents compared to control (C) groups with no
supplement. Each group of animals were divided into three similar subgroups (4 each)
on the basis of initial age and initial body weight as follows:
     Experimental                             Heirers                                         Adult buffaloes
groups
        Averag_es             He                H1 .              H2               AC               A 1               A2
Age, months              26.0±1 0      30.0 ± 5.0 26.5:::2.50 51.0±1.4             43.5::5.5       36.0±1.0
Body weight, kg 379.5±47.S 346.5 ± 56.5 347.5±29.S 45Q.5±33.5 4630±37.0 4855±28.5
H1 and Ai = More yeast supplement, H2 and A2 ::: CenMose supplement and HC & AC
control groups.
Yeast cultures were top-dressed on the moming concenlrate diet at one level of
10 9 I head I day. Subgroups Hl and A 1 were given More yeast while subgroups H2
and A2 were given CenMose. The subgroups of HC and AC were used as control. All
animals were fed for 90 days on a traditional diet comprising of concentrate mixture and
wheat straw. Neither nutrients digestibiiity nor nutritive values were affected by yeast
cultures in both heiters and buffalo cows. Yeast cultures increased the average daily
gain (ADG) and decreased daily feed intake resulted in an improvement of feed
efficiency in heifers. While, CenMose improved the ADG with a slight increase in daily
feed intake and gave higher feed efficiency compared to Moreyeast and control one . .A:2.
and H2 showed Ihe best ones in feed conversion (5.33 and 5.09 TDN I Gain. resp.) and
the ADG were (1.294 and 1.139 Kg, resp.). More yeast did not affect in the
performance of buffaloes while sensible improvement was shown in heifers. Blood
analysis showed no significanl differences among all groups in total protein, total
cholesterol and total lipids.
Addition of yeast culture including its growth medium in concentrate diet of
culled female buffaloes improve the average daily gain and feed conversion during a
gO-day finishing period.