K. C. SEN, S. C. RAY AND S. K. TALAPATRA 289
|
Animal |
Intake |
Output |
|||
|
Faeces |
Urine |
Total |
Balance |
||
|
gm. |
gm. |
gm. |
gm. |
||
|
Calcium (period 4) |
|||||
|
H 45 . . . . |
23.8 |
16.1 |
0.28 |
16.4 |
+7.4 |
|
H 45 . . . . |
21.7 |
18.6 |
0.28 |
18.9 |
+2.8 |
|
H 48 . . . . |
24.1 |
21.5 |
0.30 |
21.8 |
+2.3 |
|
H 51 . . . . |
21.5 |
18.8 |
0.29 |
19.1 |
+2.4 |
|
Average |
22.8 |
18.8 |
0.29 |
19.1 |
+3.7 |
|
Phosphorus (period 3) |
|||||
|
H 45 . . . . |
14.3 |
13.0 |
0.14 |
13.1 |
+ 1.2 |
|
H 46 . . . . |
13.0 |
11.6 |
0.11 |
11.7 |
+ 1.3 |
|
H 48 . . . . |
14.3 |
13.1 |
0.10 |
13.2 |
+ 1.1 |
|
H 51 . . . . |
13.1 |
11.3 |
0.10 |
11.4 |
+ 1.7 |
|
Average . |
13.7 |
12.3 |
0.11 |
12.4 |
+ 1.3 |
|
Phosphorus (period 4) |
|||||
|
H 45 . . . . |
11.6 |
6.0 |
0.13 |
6.1 |
+5.5 |
|
H 46 . . . . |
10.3 |
6.0 |
0.09 |
6.1 |
+4.2 |
|
H 48 . . . . |
11.7 |
7.3 |
0.08 |
7.4 |
+4.3 |
|
H 51 . . . . |
10.4 |
7.4 |
0.13 |
7.5 |
+2.9 |
|
Average |
11.0 |
6.7 |
0.11 |
6.8 |
+4.2 |
In period 4, in spite of the lower intake of nitrogen (for reasons already
explained), the retention of this element was considerably higher than in
period 3. The balance was, in fact, over four times higher. In period 3,
out of 31.5 gm. of absorbed nitrogen, 86 per cent was excreted in the urine.
On the other hand, in period 4, out of 28.8 gm. of absorbed nitrogen, only
about 44 per cent was rejected in the urine. Thus the utilization of nitrogen
was higher during the feeding with alkali-treated straws of both wheat and
paddy than with the untreated straws.
The balance of calcium and phosphorus followed the same trend as that
of nitrogen, that is, when the alkali-treated straw replaced the untreated
paddy straw, the positive balance for these minerals significantly improved.
Unlike that in the experiment with wheat straw, the level of calcium intake
in periods 3 and 4 was approximately the same. In fact, the intake was
1.08 gm. higher in period 3 than in period 4. In spite of this slightly higher
intake during period 3, two animals barely maintained a calcium equili-
brium and the other two showed a positive balance. This balance could only