Vol. 11, Special Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
B Chandrika, MVAN Suryanarayana, B Devasena and Y Ravindra Reddy

Abstract:
In a Completely Randomized Design Sixteen lactating cross bred cows randomly assigned to four treatments with each group containing four animals were evaluated to assess the effect of supplementation of Citric acid at different levels with concentrate pellet feed, green fodder and paddy straw on rumen fermentation pattern, milk composition and blood biochemical parameters. The dietary treatments contained adlibitum APBN-1 green fodder, concentrated pellets and paddy straw at 2.5% of body weight (basal diet). The treatments were the basal diet as control (T₁), T₁ + 30g Citric acid/animal/ dayas T₂, T₁ + 60g of Citric acid/animal/day (T₃) and T₁ + 120g Citric acid/animal/day as T₄. Supplementation showed a significant difference (P<0.05) among rumen pH values collected at the 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 hrs.The trend was same for TVFA, NH₃-N, and N fractions which reached peak at 6 h post feeding and later followed a decreasing trend in all the treatments. The mean TVFA (mEq/L) was highest (P<0.05) 6 hourly interval of SRL collection and lowest at 0 hr from 6 hourly interval. Higher milkproduction yield was recorded for T₄ and at 6^th week of supplementation.Milk composition was significant during 4^th and 5^th week. A significant (P<0.05) difference among the groups pertaining to serum glucose (mg/dl), BUN and triglycerides (mg/dl) and serum macro mineralswas noticed. It was concluded that the citric acid supplementation can manipulate the rumen fermentation pattern with an increased volatile fatty acid production. Supplementation influenced milk production with a corresponding change in the milk composition. Citric acid also affected the serum biochemical parameters with a significant change in Calcium and Phosphorus concentrations at higher dose of supplementation. Supplementation at 120 g per day per animal could be beneficial in altering the efficient rumen fermentation and milk production.