The rumen has unique ability to degrade dietary protein on the one hand and synthesize microbial protein on the other. However rumen microorganism cannot synthesize enough protein to support high levels of growth and milk production by lactating animals. When protein requirements for milk production and maintenances exceeds the amount of protein synthesized by rumen microbes, there is need to protect some of dietary protein from ruminal degradation and be digested by enzymes in small intestine. Some protein sources are naturally protected from rumen degradation and other requires artificial protection. Among different methods to protect the protein, treatment with formaldehyde is an efficient and inexpensive method to protect the proteins from rumen degradation.

Vegetable protein source such as oil seed cakes and meals are major component of livestock feed. Sunflower meal is a good and relatively cheaper source of vegetable protein and is commonly available. Present study was planned to study the effect of HCHO treated sunflower meal on milk production performance of lactating buffaloes.

Twelve lactating buffaloes were divided into 2 groups A and B based on the milk production (9.1) lactation no (II) and days after calving (38). Individual feeding practice was adopted to fulfill the requirement of each animal. Group A was fed control ration with untreated sunflower meal and Group B was fed experimental ration containing the HCHO treated sunflower meal. About 45 kg of chopped green fodder (according to availability) was offered daily to each animal in both groups. Concentrate mixture was given to satisfy production requirement4 Animals were kept under proper managemental conditions. Hand milking of the animals was done twice a day. An insitu trial was conducted to see the effectiveness of HCHO treatment against the rurninal degradation of sunflower meal used in the experimental rations. Present study was conducted to ascertain milk production of Nih Ravi buffaloes by undegradable intake protein of sunflower meal.

Insitu study showed that formaldehyde treatment significantly reduced the degradation of pro tein in the rurnen. Average values for undegradable protein from O.5% HCHO treated sunflower meal was 75.52 percent as compared to 14.22 percent value of control after 24 hours of incubation. Average daily milk production for group A and B was 8.66 ± 0.70 and 8.94 ± 0.55 kg respectively. The difference was statistically non-significant. Similarly a non-significant response of formaldehyde treated sunflower meal to milk fat percentage and fat corrected milk was observed. The average values for fat contents and FCM were 5.52% ± 0.12 for group A and 5.72% + 0.23 for group B and 10.6+0.76 kg for group A and 11.2+0.50 kg for B group respectively. It was concluded, that formaldehyde treatment of SFM effectively reduced the protein degratdation in the rumen but treated sunflower meal could not improve the milk yield and fat content significantly when fed to lactating buffaloes