Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology

The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status of dairy animals with respect to macro nutrients in the Undulating Plain Zone (UPZ) of Punjab, covering part of Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts. Using stratified random sampling technique, feed and fodder samples (n=173) and on the spot milk and urine samples (n=320) were collected. The body weight of the dairy animals between the two districts were comparable, but milk yield/animal/day was higher (P<0.05) in animals of Gurdaspur district than that of Hoshiarpur district (5.63 vs. 4.66 kg). The relative proportion of concentrate was lower (P<0.01) in the diet of animals of Hoshiarpur district as compared to that in Gurdaspur district (8.8 vs. 17.7%), reverse trend was observed in the roughage proportion i.e. 91.2 vs. 82.3%, respectively. The CP and EE content of the diet offered was less than the actual recommended (12–17% CP and 3% EE, respectively), while the NDF content was higher than the actual recommended level (≤28%) for complete feed. The daily DM and CP intake were as per the requirements but the EE intake was much less than required by the animals in Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur district i.e. 34.3 and 39%, respectively. Only 2% farmers in Gurdaspur and 25% farmers in Hoshiarpur district were supplementing the diet with mineral mixture. On an average 37.6% of the farmers complained about reproductive problems faced by their animals. The milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was higher (P<0.05) in Gurdaspur than in Hoshiarpur district (13.0 vs 5.1 mM/l). Urinary excretion of allantoin, uric acid and the total purine derivatives by the animals of Gurdaspur District was higher as compared to Hoshiarpur district, but the differences were statistically non significant. The higher supply of microbial nitrogen, along with better efficiency of nitrogen utilization may be responsible for higher milk yield by animals of Gurdaspur district. It was concluded that the animals in UPZ were underfed.