EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FEED COMBINATIONS ON NUTRIENT INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY IN CROSS-BRED HEIFER

Abstract

ABSTRACT
An experiment was conducted for a period of 360 days to study the nutrient intake,
digestibility of feed as well as economics of replacement heifers fed different feed
combinations of ration. Twenty four (Holstein Friesian × Sahiwal) and (Jersey × Sahiwal)
cross-bred heifer calves of 4 to 6 month of age of 55.27 to 62 kg body weight were divided
Indian J. Anim. Prod. Mgmt. Vol. 31(1-2) 10-15 (2015)
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Limited feeding of a high-grain diet to
growing cattle has been shown to have positive
effects on cattle performance including decreased
DMI, improved feed conversion and decreased cost
of gain6. Providing supplements with relatively high
protein concentrations to ruminants consuming lowquality
roughage has been shown to enhance
roughage utilization and livestock performance5.
Workers4 demonstrated that feeding cattle a
supplement containing at least 22% crude protein
increased both intake and utilization of low-quality
forage. To optimize productivity it is necessary to
provide the animals with quality feeds to meet
nutrients requirement. Monitoring heifer growth is
an important part of a sound dairy replacement
program. When feeding dairy heifers, a farmer’s
goal is to feed a very digestible diet that will
provide nutrients to keep dairy heifers healthy and
allow them to grow faster, while spending less
money on feed. The objective of this study was to
determine nutrient intake and digestibility of
nutrient in cross-bred heifer calves.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Animals and Diets
Twenty four HS (Holstein Friesian × Sahiwal)
and JS (Jersy × Sahiwal) healthy female calves of
4 to 5 months of age were selected and divided
into four groups (six in each group) i.e. T1=
Control (Farm ration); T2= 50% Barley + 30% MC
+10% AC + 8% WB 2% MM; T3= 50% Maize +
30% MC +10% AC + 8% WB 2% MM and T4=
50% Sorghum + 30% MC +10% AC + 8% WB
2% MM, respectively. The animals of various
experimental groups were fed farm and self
prepared ration comprising green fodder (MP chari,
Maize, Cow pea and Berseem etc. depending on
seasonal availability) and wheat straw as the dry
roughage along with a balanced concentrate
mixture and mineral (1.5 kg concentrate per
animal/day from 4 to 6 months and 2.0 kg from 7
to 15 months of age) to meet the requisite
nutritional requirements. The quantity of diet offered
was calculated for each individual animal (dry
matter basis). The experimental calves were similar
in respect to size, health, body weight and age.
Before the start of experiment all the animals were
dewormed against internal and external parasites.
The quantity of daily feed offered to each animal of
the respective group and the residual left was
recorded for a period of 360 days to calculate the
average daily feed intake.
Digestion trial
Representative samples of feed, left over and
faeces were subjected to chemical analysis for
determination of crude protein, crude fibre, ether
extract, ash and nitrogen free extract following the
standard method2. A digestibility trial of 7 days
duration, at seven, eleven and fifteen months of the
experimental trial, was conducted to determine the
digestibility coefficient of dry matter, organic
into four equal groups viz T1 (control), T2, T3 and T4. The four groups of cross-breed heifers
namely fed as T1= Control (Farm ration), T2= 50% Barley + 30% MC +10% AC + 8% WB +
2% MM, T3= 50% Maize + 30% MC +10% AC + 8% WB + 2% MM and T4= 50% Sorghum +
30% MC +10% AC + 8% WB + 2% MM, different feed combinations were made in order to
judge the effect of different feeds on nutrients intake and its digestibility at different months.
Significantly higher (p<0.05) nutrient intake (DM, CP, TDN and ME) was observed in the
group T3. The digestibility of nutrients (DM, OM, CP, EE, CF and NFE) were also significantly
higher (p<0.05) in T3 group. The total cost per heifer was highest in T4 followed by T3, T2 and
lowest in T1 groups respectively.
Key words: Feed combination, nutrient intake, digestibility of nutrients, economics, cross-bred
heifer.