There’s more to carabaos than just being a source of draft power. The DA-PCC’s Carabao Development Program (CDP) continuously ushers the improvement of the genetic potentials of carabaos as a source of quality milk and meat to promote productive buffalo-based enterprises to farming communities.

Under the CDP, the potentials for meat production utilizing male animals produced from institutional herd and dairy cooperatives are continuously being explored.

Fattening and slaughtering of male buffaloes unfit for breeding purposes are not only meant to improve the economic condition of raisers, as it is a profitable business venture, but also to provide quality meat for domestic consumption at competitive prices.

However, due to high cost of feeding materials, farmers and feedlot operators are reluctant to adopt various feeding technologies for feedlot fattening of male buffaloes. One way to decrease feed cost is the utilization of industrial by-products and waste.

The use of bakery waste-based concentrate mix in the feeding system is seen as a factor for improved growth performance of Bulgarian Murrah buffalo yearlings.

This finding was based on an operations research carried out by the team from the DA-PCC at Central Mindanao University, which include Dr. Lowell Paraguas, Elena Paraguas, Vicenta Canatoy and Ramon Soliven.

Their study titled “Performance of Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo Calves Fed with Mulato II Grass (Brachiaria sp.) and Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) With or Without Bakery Waste-Based Concentrate Mix” was focused on further evaluating the nutritive value and effect of feeding bakery waste on Bulgarian Murrah buffalo yearlings’ growth.

Specifically, it was aimed at determining the live weight gain, dry matter intake, and feed conversion ratio of Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings fed with Mulato II grass and Napier grass with varying levels of concentrate supplementation made from bakery waste.

It was also conducted to evaluate the apparent in vivo digestibility (IVD) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and ash content of the diets fed to Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings; and assess the economic benefit of using different levels of concentrate supplementation made from bakery waste in Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings.

In the study, 24 Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings were utilized and blocked according to their initial weights in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RBCD) in six replications per treatment. 

Monthly weighing was done using an electronic weighing scale. During the 120-day feeding trial period, the experimental animals were assigned to four dietary treatments. They were fed with varying levels of Mulato II grass, Napier and bakery waste-based concentrate mixture.

For Treatment 1, animals were fed with Mulato II grass without concentrate supplementation. For Treatment 2, they were fed with Napier grass without concentrate supplementation. Treatment 3 involved feeding of 80% Mulato II grass + 20% concentrate supplementation while Treatment 4 was composed of 70% Mulato II grass + 30% concentrate supplementation.  

The addition of bakery waste-based concentrate to Mulato II grass resulted in increased in vivo CP digestibility in Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings. In vivo DM, NDF, ADF, and ash digestibilities of Mulato II and Napier grass were better than those with bakery waste concentrate in Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings.

The lesser the % of bakery waste-based concentrate mixed with Mulato II grass, the higher is the return above feed and supplement costs.

On the other hand, for better in vivo CP digestibility in Bulgarian Murrah buffalo yearlings, bakery waste-based concentrate mix can be included in the diet. Basal ration with either Mulato II and Napier grass could however satisfy the nutrient requirements of the animals considering that these supply higher DM, NDF, ADF and ash.

Recommending for further research, the study initially concluded that in order to decrease the feed cost, the use of bakery waste-based concentrate mix at lower inclusion rates in a shorter period of time could be implemented for the improved growth performance of Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings.

Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, the researchers recommended the use of bakery waste concentrate mix in Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo yearlings for improved growth performance.