Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, College of Agricullure, Nagpur - 440 010, India
Online published on 5 January, 2012.
Feeding trial was conducted by adopting switchover design on 6 crossbred milch cows (1/2 Sahiwal x 1/2 Jersey) which were divided into three groups on the basis of milk yield and stage of lactation. Animals were allotted to three feeding treatments, i.e. fresh mixture of orange pomace and wheat straw (Or and WS) in 60 : 40 proportion (T1); silages of OP-WS mixed in 60 : 40 (T2) or in 70 : 30 (T3) proportions. The yields of milk, FCM, fat, SNF and TS were significantly higher in the animals fed silages (T2 and T3) compared to those of T. However, between the two groups T2 and T3 the differences were non-significant. The composition of milk in terms of % coastituent was not affected significantly. The digestibility-cum-metabolism trial was conducted by distributing 18 crossbred milch cows (1/2 Sahiwal x 1/2 Jersey) into 3 groups on the basis of milk yield and body weight. The animals were allotted to 3 already enumerated treatments in experiment based on randomised block design. DM intake, nutrient digestibility nutritive value and N retention were significantly higher in the animals in group T2 and T3 fed silages than the animals fed T1 ration, but the difference in digestibility and nutritive value beween groups T2 and T3 were not significant. It is concluded that feeding of OP: WS (60:40 or 70:30) silage increased milk yield of crossbred cows without affecting composition of milk as compared to feeding of fresh mixture of orange pomace and wheat straw.
