This work was carried out at Mehalet Mosa Experimental Stalion, Animal
Production Research Institute. Twenty·eight buffalo male calves were us d to study
the effect of using three different forages, maize stover silage (TMSS group), whole
plant maize silage (WMS group), berseem siage (TBS group) versus traditional ration
contain berseem hay (CBH as control group) beside concentrate and rice straw on
growth performance, feed utilization and economical efficiency. The calves were fed
according to 'Shehata allowances (1970) by 70% concentrate and 30 % f9rage as 2
kgJh/d rice straw with ad lib silage or hay. The main results showed thai befseem
silage and berseem hay rations were higher In CP % than the other rati9ns. There
was superiority for (WMS) silage in OM, EE, NFE and OM content than Tf1SS silage.
Also. OMI for WMS group of calves was slightly more than the other tested groups.
The difference among groups was not significan!. Calves of TMSS group consumed
slightly less amount of SE intake compared with the other feeding groups. The WMS
group had the highest feed conversion being 10.50, 6.15 and 0.93 kglkg ga n for OMI,
DCPI and SEI, respectively, compared with that of the control group (11.95. 6.22. 1.09
kg/kg gain, respectively). The highest values of weight gain per OCP cons med were
recorded for TMSS and WMS groups. On the other hand, WMS group h d attained
the highest average daily gain. The relative growth rate ofWMS and TBS groups was
higher by 9.19 and 3.06%, respectively than control group (CBH), while TMSS group
was decreased by 10.72% than the control one. Non significant diffe ence was
observed in average relative growth rates among the different groups in the feeding
trial. Feed cost of weight gain was decreased by 21.59%, 19.37% and 20.66% for
TMSS, WMS and TBS groups than control group. Also, economical efficie cy for the
same groups improved by 27.8%,23.95% and 26.02%, respectively, ~r.ared with
CBH group. There were no significant differences ill all blood parameters among all
tested groups.