Effect of utilization of corn cobs in total mixed ration on haematological, serum biochemical and rumen parameters of growing goats

Introduction

Deforestation, urbanization, and global population expansion are some of the causes of the scarcity of grazing area. There is an urgent need of diverse approaches for the state to alleviate the demand and supply gap of fodder. Therefore, unconventional feeds might lessen humananimal competition for food and partially narrow the feed supply gap. The cost of production can be decreased by substituting unconventional feed resources for conventional feed (Dey et al., 2020) [6] . Non-conventional feed resources (NCFR) are any feeds that have traditionally not been utilized for animal nutrition, either by feed manufacturers or farmers in commercial feeds (Amata, 2014) [1] . In To overcome the scarcity of dry fodders there is an urgent need for tapping some unconventional dry roughage sources. Corn cobs, a byproduct of maize production obtained after harvesting of maize grains, are a good alternate roughage source and can be utilized in ruminant rations. It can serve as an alternate source of feed. It is among the most accessible and plentiful agricultural wastes (Kategile et al., 1981) [9] . They have low nutritional value, but in the agricultural sector they are used as fuel, bedding for chickens and other animals, and even as feed for ruminants. These cobs are abundant in hemicellulose and cellulose but low in crude protein, making them a viable alternative feed source for ruminants. When fibre digestion is impaired and energy is the diet's first-limiting nutrient, animals respond more strongly to enzyme supplements (Beauchemin et al., 2003) [5] . Forage fed with exogenous enzymes decreased pH value, ammonia nitrogen, and CH4 production while increasing the digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre, and total volatile fatty acid yield. However, depending on the forage, their optimal dose rate changed.

Thus, crop waste like corn cobs could be used as a roughage source in total mixed ration of ruminants which will act as good alternative roughage source during scarcity situation when there is a shortage of conventional roughage sources. Further, the utilization and nutritional value of such crop wastes can be enhanced by supplementation of fibrolytic enzymes. However, it is important to evaluate the effect of inclusion of crop waste like corn cobs in the ration on the health of growing goats which can be learnt by analyzing the haematological, serum biochemical and rumen parameters of growing goats. Considering the above facts in mind and huge availability of corn cobs in the area of research work, present research work was planned to evaluate the effect of utilization of corn cobs in total mixed ration on the haematological, serum biochemical and rumen parameters of growing Osmanabadi goats. During the trial period, maximum 30 °C and minimum 24 °C temperature and 823 mm precipitation was recorded. The study involved 18 Osmanabadi growing goats of 4-5 months of age which were divided into three equal groups viz., T0 (Control), T1 and T2, having six goats in each group. The goats in the control group (T0) were fed total mixed ration (Concentrate: 30 parts, Dry roughages-Jowar straw (Kadbikutti): 50 parts and Green roughages-DHN6: 20 parts) to provide nutrients as ICAR (2013) [8] , whereas in the T1 group, goats were fed total mixed ration as per Group T0 where in Kadbikutti of dry roughage was replaced by corn cobs at 25% level, while in T2 group, the goats were fed total mixed ration as per Group T1 + fibrolytic enzymes @ 300g/ton of feed. The trial lasted for 90 days duration. The trial lasted for ninety days. The total mixed ration (TMR) comprising of 50% dry roughages -dry kadbikutti, 20% green fodder DHN6 and 30% concentrate mixture, was prepared every day in the morning at farm and fed throughout the experimental period of 90 days. The corn cobs utilized in treatment groups were obtained in coarsely ground form after threshing of corn grains from grain producing crops cultivated at ILFC, COVAS, Udgir. The corn cobs were again ground to appropriate size so that it can be mixed thoroughly in TMRs of treatment groups. The fibrolytic enzyme used in the present experiment was in a free-flowing powder form, easy to mix in feed. The fibrolytic enzyme consists of cellulase and hemicellulase (xylanase) enzymes which were helpful in efficient breakdown of cell wall and enhancing fibre digestibility. The said enzyme was procured from the market. The enzyme was supplemented to experimental animals through concentrate mixture which was included in TMR of group T2. The representative samples of concentrate mixtures, green fodder (DHN6), kadbi kutti, corn cobs and various TMRs utilized for feeding of experimental growing goats were collected at fortnight interval throughout the experimental period, oven dried and the pooled samples were analyzed as per AOAC (2007) [2] . The chemical composition (% DMB) of concentrate mixtures, green fodder (DHN6), kadbi kutti and corn cobs is presented in Table 1. Three different types of TMRs were prepared every day and used for feeding respective experimental groups to meet their nutrient requirements (ICAR, 2013) [8] . The ingredient composition of experimental TMRs is given in Table 2 and the percent chemical composition (% DMB) of total mixed ration of various experimental groups is presented in Table 3. Blood samples were obtained from all growing goats from each treatment groups at the start of experiment and thereafter at monthly interval during the trial period i.e. on the 0,30, 60 and 90th day four ml of blood was drawn from the jugular vein of all experimental growing goats in to the syringe. For hematological analysis, the blood was collected into EDTAcontaining tubes and for biochemical analysis blood samples were collected in tubes without anticoagulant. Blood samples were subjected to Haemoglobin and PCV. The serum was separated as per routine standard procedure, and was analyzed in a semi-auto analyzer using diagnostic kits for various biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, globulin, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL). The methodology and the set of reagents used in respect of each parameter were as per the recommendation of the manufacturer of the analyzer system. Rumen liquor samples were obtained from all growing goats from each treatment groups at the start of experiment and thereafter at monthly interval during the trial period i.e. on the 0,30, 60 and 90 th day. The samples were collected at 4 hours post feeding by using stomach tube having a 0.15 mm internal diameter and 150 cm long plastic tube. Approximately 50 ml of rumen liquor was collected from individual goats. The sucked fluid was filtered through the cheese cloth and pH was measured immediately. The filtered rumen liquor was immediately processed for digestion with sulphuric acid to estimate total nitrogen. TVFA was determined using Markham apparatus as described by Bornett and Reid (1957) [4] . The total nitrogen and TCA-precipitable nitrogen in rumen liquor were determined using Kjeldhal's method (AOAC, 2007) [2] . By deducting TCA-ppt nitrogen from the total nitrogen content of SRL, the NPN content of rumen liquor was estimated. Observations of various parameters recorded during experimental period were tabulated and data were statistically analyzed as per Snedecor and Cochran (1994) [13] , by using Randomized block design and Completely Randomized Design.

Materials and Methods

Results and discussion

The overall performance of growing goats from different experimental groups is presented in Table 4. The values of Hb and PCV were within the normal physiological limits. The average Hb and PCV values of different experimental groups revealed non-significant effect of feed treatments. These results of present study corroborated with Ogunleke et al.

(2014) [11] who observed no significant (p > 0.05) differences on Hb and PCV values by feeding diet containing milled corn cobs in dwarf goats. Likewise, Babale et al. (2018) [3] also observed no effect on Hb and PCV values by feeding ration containing up to 50% maize cobs to goats compared to control goats.

The average serum total protein values, serum albumin, serum globulin values, serum albumin: globulin values and serum blood urea nitrogen values of various experimental groups were comparable. Ogunleke et al. (2014) [11] who reported that serum protein, albumin and globulin values were unaffected by feeding diet containing milled corn cobs in dwarf goats. Similarly, NE et al. (2017) [10] observed no significant effect on concentration of serum globulin values when supplementation of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme @ of 2.5 g in growing barley lambs. Likewise, Babale et al. (2018) [3] also observed no effect on serum globulin values by feeding ration containing up to 50% maize cobs to goats.

The serum glucose values of group T2 were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than group T0 and T1, however, difference between group T0 and T1 was non-significant. Findings of the present study are not matching with Ogunleke et al. (2014) [11] who reported that serum glucose values were unaffected by feeding diet containing milled corn cobs in dwarf goats. Babale et al. (2018) [3] also observed no effect on serum glucose values by feeding ration containing up to 50% maize cobs to goats. Thus, it is observed that replacement of kadbikutti by 25% corn cob in TMR with or without enzyme supplementation revealed no adverse effect on blood biochemical parameters viz, serum total protein, serum globulin, serum albumin, serum blood urea nitrogen, serum glucose. However, replacement of kadbikutti by 25% corn cob in TMR with enzyme supplementation resulted in significant (p < 0.01) improvement in blood glucose levels of growing goats. The monthly average rumen liquor pH values, rumen NH3-N concentration, total volatile fatty acid concentration, total nitrogen concentration, TCA-ppt-nitrogen concentration, nonprotein nitrogen concentration for groups T0, T1 and T2 revealed non-significant effect of feed treatments. This also indicated that rumen ecosystem and functioning was not affected due to inclusion of corn cobs in TMR of treatment groups. Findings of the present study are in line with Wachirapakorna et al. (2014) [14] who reported no change in rumen pH in HF cows fed with total mixed ration (TMR) containing ground corn cobs. Poonooru et al. (2015) [12] also reported no effect (p > 0.05) on rumen pH in buffaloes when supplemented with exogenous fibrolytic enzyme and/or live yeast culture in total mixed ration. Hamad et al. (2010) [7] reported that feeding urea treated corn with cobs as 50% or total replacement of pelleted concentrate feed mixture compared to the conventional diets did not alter rumen total volatile fatty acid in ewes. Contradictory to the findings of the present study, Yulistiani et al. (2024) [16] reported higher (p < 0.01) ruminal NH3-N concentration in lambs fed a diet containing ground corn cob. Ajayi et al. (2016) reported that rumen total volatile fatty acid concentration differed (p < 0.05) significantly when corn cobs were included at 15,30 and 45% in goat ration. The means having common superscript in the same row do not differ significantly NS: Non-significant **Significant (p < 0.01)

Conclusion

From overall results of the present study it is concluded that the replacement of Kadbi kutti by corn cobs @ 25% in TMR with or without supplementation of fibrolytic enzymes has no adverse effect on haemato-biochemical and rumen fermentation parameters of growing Osmanabadi goats. The replacement of Kadbikuttiby 25% corn cobs can sustain goats during the feed scarcity period without any adverse effect on health of goats.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementWe thank Associate Dean, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Udgir, Latur, Maharashtra for providing necessary facilities for carrying out this research work.

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