Abstract

Background: An experiment was conducted to study the chemical composition of spent mushroom (Pleuroyus ostreatus) paddy straw (SMPS) and its nutritive value in cattle. Samples of the SMPS were collected from various mushroom farms of Assam and were analysed for proximate principles according to the AOAC (2012) and fraction of fibre were estimated according to the Van Soest method (1991). Methods: Three digestion trials were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of SMPS (difference method) by using a group of six mature healthy and non-productive cows of approximately same age and similar body weight. In first trial, only para grass was fed to animals, in second trial, para grass along with GNC were fed together and in third trial, SMPS and GNC were fed together to determine the digestibility for various nutrients of the SMPS. Result: The average chemical composition of SMPS were 42.65±1.33, 76.30±0.40, 7.23±0.24, 1.31±0.06, 21.25±0.76, 23.69±0.49, 46.51±0.57, 62.03±1.18 and 49.26±0.67 per cent of DM, OM, CP, EE, CF, TA, NFE, NDF and ADF, respectively. The DCP and TDN content of SMPS were 4.75 and 59.76 per cent, respectively. From the results obtained, it could be concluded that Spent Mushroom (Pleurotus ostroeatus) paddy straw had higher CP and total ash and lower CF and higher nutritive value (DCP and TDN) compared to paddy straw and could be used as a maintenance types of roughage source for feeding to cattle.