Abstract   

Buffaloes (n=320) were examined immediately after slaughtering at the Municipal Slaughter House, Peshawar, for prevalence for indigestible foreign bodies in their reticulo-rumen. Foreign bodies were detected in the rumen and reticulum of 182 (56.88%) buffaloes. In 49.38% buffaloes, foreign bodies were present in the reticulum and relatively small number of buffaloes (7.5%) had such materials in their rumen. The distribution of foreign bodies with respect to type (P<0.05), number (P<0.05) and weight (P<0.0l) were different in the two compartments of the compound stomach. Rumen haboured mostly plastic materials while reticulum was the major site for retention of metallic objects. Among the buffaloes found positive for foreign bodies in the rumen, 62.5% had plastic objects followed by metals, nylon cloth, pebbles and rubber objects in 16.7, 12.5, 4.2 and 4.2%, respectively. In buffaloes with foreign bodies in the reticulum, 96.8% had metals, 25.3% had pebbles, 5.1 % had compact plastic, 5.1 % had marbles and 1.9% had broken teeth along with pieces of bones. The total number of foreign bodies in the reticulum was greater (P<0.0!) than in the rumen (943 vs 58). Conversely, the total weight of the material found in the rumen was greater (P<0.05) than that of the reticulum (9. 15 vs 4. 14 kg). Mean concentrations of microbial nitrogen (mg/ 100 ml) were 35.65, 30. 16 and 26.23 and protozoa! numbers (x 103/mi) were 7.53, 7.92 and 5.79 in the rurnen tiuld of buffaloes free of foreign bodies, having metals and plastic respectively. Variations in both microbial nitrogen and protozoa! population were statistically non significant.