Impact of Different Cost-Effective Maintenance Rations on Economics, Nutrient Intake and Physiological Responses of Unproductive Tharparkar Cattle

Bhupender Singh; Hari Om Pandey; Ambili K S; Mote Sujit Indrajit; Ajoy  Das; Mahendra  Sinver; Ravi Dabas

doi:10.56093/ijans.v96i1.174799

Authors

Bhupender Singh ICAR-NDRI Karnal
Hari Om Pandey ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
Ambili K S ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
Mote Sujit Indrajit ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
Ajoy Das ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
Mahendra Sinver ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
Ravi Dabas

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v96i1.174799

Keywords:

Cost-effective ration, Tharparkar, TMR, Economic viability, Unproductive cattle, Urea-treated straw

Abstract

An experiment was conducted for 60 days on 24 non-pregnant, non-lactating, unproductive Tharparkar cows to evaluate the impact of different cost-effective maintenance rations on economics, nutrient intake, and physiological responses. The animals were randomly divided into four groups: a control group (T0) receiving farm-level diet consisting of conventional green fodder and concentrate-based ration, and three treatment groups evaluating cost-effective concentrate mixture (T1), Total Mixed Ration (T2), and urea-treated wheat straw supplemented with minimal concentrate (T3). It was observed that total dry matter intake and body weight remained stable across all groups (P > 0.05), indicating that the cost-effective rations provided sufficient nutrients for maintenance without compromising the physical condition of the animals. The physiological profile, including hematological indices and serum biochemical constituents (total protein, glucose, and creatinine), remained within the normal range for all treatments, confirming metabolic safety. While serum urea levels were significantly higher in the urea-treated straw group (T3: 19.08 ±0.36mg/dl) compared to control (T0: 12.54±0.32 mg/dl) at day 60 (P<0.001), they remained well within safe physiological thresholds. Stress biomarkers, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and serum cortisol, showed no significant change. The daily feeding cost was significantly reduced by up to 37.3% in the T3 group (₹81.6 vs. ₹130.18/day) compared to the control. These results demonstrate that strategic use of urea-ammoniated straw and cost-effective concentrates offer a scalable, economically viable approach for the sustainable management of unproductive cattle under resource-constrained conditions.

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