Effect of Supplementing Rice Bran and Wheat Bran with Probiotics on Growth Performance of Khari Kids

An experiment was conducted in IAAS, Livestock Farm, Rampur Chitwan, Nepal in order to assess the growth performance of kids feeding diets supplemented with probiotics. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications and five feeding supplemented diets with probiotics treatments. Parameters studied were live weight gain, body measurements and economic analysis. The result of this study showed the highest cumulative mean live weight (13.24 kg) in the treatment group feeding mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics. Fortnightly and daily body weight gains were also highest in the treatment group having mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics. The highest (11.74cm) overall mean monthly heart girth was observed in the treatment group feeding mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics. The mean monthly cumulative neck girth, body length and wither height of kids did not differ significant (p>0.05) among treatments. However, the highest overall mean monthly cumulative neck girth (6.71cm), wither height (10.14cm) and body length (14.62cm) was observed in probiotics supplemented treatment groups. Highest (1.61) benefit cost ratio was obtained from goats reared on feeding mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with Probiotics and lowest (1.008) in wheat bran without probiotics. The result of the study thus suggests that feeding of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics is beneficial in terms of growth rate and cost of production. Keyword: Probiotics; rice bran; wheat bran; growth rate; khari kids


Introduction
It is believed that goat was the earliest ruminant to be domesticated by man (Zeuner, 1963) and has the widest ecological range among the domesticated animals (Epstein, 1997).Goat enterprise is suitable for the landless, marginal and small farmers including women and children.Goat meat is very popular and is preferred to other meat in Nepal (Dhakal, 1985).Rice bran is outer coarse coat (pericarp) of grain separated during processing and is a good source of B-vitamins, protein and amino acids and fairly palatable to farm animals.It contains 14-18% oils, 11% cp, 10-15% CF, 2600kcal ME/kg.Similarly, Wheat bran is excellent feed for goat.It is quite palatable and has laxative properties.It contains 13% CP and 12% CF.The phosphorus content is very high and calcium is low in wheat bran.Probiotics have been shown to have many functions, including protecting

Research Article
young animals against enteropathic disorders and increasing feed conversion efficiency and weight gain in growing animals (Windschitl, 1991).Certain probiotics have beneficial effects in the rumen, including the prevention of rumen acidosis (Ghorbani et al., 2002).Beneficial effects of these probiotics are well reported when these are administered in adequate amount (FAO/ WHO, 2002;Senok et al., 2005;Todorov et al., 2007).
Nutrition is the most important factor influencing high production of goat under controlled management condition (Devendra, 1984).The productivity of farm animals is comparatively low mainly due to the shortage of feedstuffs to satisfy the nutriment requirements in Nepalese context.Farmers are less aware about goat's diet with respect to energy, protein, vitamins and mineral requirement.They keep goats just on the basis of seasonal fodder and available forest resources.Considering the above problems an experiment was conducted to assess the growth performance of kids fed diets supplemented with probiotics.

Materials and Methods
An experiment was conducted in Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Livestock Farm, Rampur Chitwan, Nepal.The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications and five treatments namely: rice bran without probiotics, wheat bran without probiotics, rice bran with probiotics, wheat bran with probiotics, rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics.All treatment kids were given six hour grazing for additional nutritional requirement.Twenty 3-4 months age Khari goat kids including both sexes were selected for the study from IAAS farm.All the kids were vaccinated (PPR), drenched and dipped against internal and external parasites prior to partitioning them into experimental groups.
Two local feed ingredients viz.rice bran and wheat bran were collected and properly fortified with probiotics (probenz premix), common salt and mineral mixture as mentioned in the experimental design.Agrimin forte (mineral) and common salt @ 1 kg and 2 kg per quintal each were mixed in concentrate ration.Both concentrate ration was fed @ 50 gm/kid/day for first month and then 50 gm was added each month so that on 4 th month each kid was get 200 gm/day.Concentrate ration was fed to the kids according to feeding schedule both in the morning and evening by dividing the allowance in two equal parts.Kids were allowed in grazing for 6 hours from 10 am to 4 pm.Body weight, Average daily weight gain, Total weight gain, Body measurement: Heart girth, body length, neck girth and wither height were taken for further study and analysis.Economical analysis and nutrient analysis was also done during the research period.Statistical analysis was done by using M-STAT soft ware program.

Mean Cumulative Body Weight
The mean fortnightly body weight (kg) of Khari kids fed probiotics supplemented diet is presented in Table 1.The mean body weight of kids in first fortnight was observed non-significant (p>0.05).Accordingly, the mean body weight of kids in second fortnight was observed significantly different (P<0.01)having higher body weight (8.29 kg) in the treatment group having mixture of wheat bran and rice bran with probiotics and lower body weight (7.55kg) was observed in the treatment group having rice bran without probiotics.Similar result was also observed in other fortnight.

Mean Daily Body Weight Gain
The mean daily weight gain of kids in first fortnight was observed non-significant (p>0.05).Accordingly, the mean daily weight gain of kids in second fortnight was observed significantly different (P<0.01)having higher daily weight gain (66.91) gm in the treatment group having mixture of wheat bran and rice bran with probiotics and lower daily weight gain (34.15gm) was observed in the treatment group rice bran without probiotics.The mean daily weight gain of kids in third fortnight was observed non-significant (p>0.05).Similar result was also observed in 4 th , 5 th and 6 th fortnight.However, there was significant difference between probiotics supplemented diet and without probiotics supplement diet in 7 th and 8 th fortnight.As well as there was significant difference (P<0.01) in overall weight gain between probiotics supplemented diet and without probiotics supplement diet having higher daily body weight gain (55.99 gm) in the treatment group having wheat bran and rice bran with probiotics and lower daily weight gain (33.75gm) in the treatment group wheat bran without probiotics.
The result showed that the weight gain of the Khari kids were found highest in the treatment group fed with probiotics supplemented diet.This increase in weight gain might be due to better utilization of nutrients where probiotics were supplemented in the diet.
It was concluded that supplementation of microbial feed additives in diet of kids had positive influence on growth rate (Singh et al., 2015).Similar observation has been reported by Yadav and Khan (2011) and Chopade et al., (2010).

Mean Monthly Measurement of Heart Girth
Mean monthly heart girth (cm) of Khari kids fed probiotics supplemented diet is presented in the Table 2.The mean monthly cumulative heart girth of kids in first month was observed non-significant (p>0.05).But the mean monthly cumulative heart girth of kids in second month was observed significantly different (P<0.01)having higher monthly cumulative heart girth (48.61cm) in the treatment group mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics and lower monthly cumulative heart girth (46.53cm) was observed in the treatment group wheat bran without probiotics.Similar result was observed in 3 rd and 4 th month and overall gain.
Findings of this study is also supported by Badi et al. (2002) who reported that heart girth is the best parameter of estimating body weight.Nigm et al. (1995) also reported that heart girth tended to be the best predictor of body weight.

Mean Monthly Measurement of Body Length
The mean cumulative body length of kids in first month was observed non significant (p>0.05).Similar result was found in 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th month.But the highest overall mean monthly body length (14.624cm) was observed in the treatment group feeding with mixture of rice bran and wheat bran with probiotics and lowest overall mean monthly body length (10.95cm) was observed in the treatment group fed with rice bran without probiotics.

Mean Monthly Measurement of Wither Height
The mean monthly cumulative withers height of kids in first month was observed non significant (p>0.05).Similar result was found in 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th month.But the highest overall mean monthly wither height (10.14cm) was observed in the treatment group feeding with mixture of wheat bran and probiotics and lowest overall mean monthly wither height (6.83cm) was observed in the treatment group fed with wheat bran without probiotics.

Mean Monthly Measurement of Neck Girth
The mean monthly cumulative neck girth of kids in first month was observed non-significant (p>0.05).Similar result was found in 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th month.However, the highest overall mean monthly neck girth (6.71cm) was observed in the treatment group feeding with wheat bran and probiotics and lowest overall mean monthly neck girth (4.83cm) was observed in the treatment group fed with rice bran without probiotics.

Fig. 1 :
Fig. 1: Mean 8 th fortnightly adjusted cumulative live weight (kg) of kids fed probiotics supplemented diet Similar result was reported by Weidmeire et al. (1989) as daily weight gains of beef cows and calves maintained on poor quality pasture were increased from 0.57 to 0.80 kg /day by supplementation with Aspergillus oryzae.

Table 1 :
Mean fortnightly adjusted cumulative live weight (kg) of kids fed probiotics supplemented diet a *Means in column followed by same superscript is not significantly different (p>0.05)

Table 2 :
Mean monthly heart girth (cm) of Khari kids fed probiotics supplemented diet at livestock farm IAAS a *Means in column followed by same superscript is not significantly different (p>0.05)