Department of Feed and Fodder Technology, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricullural University, College of Veterinary Science, Hyderabad-500 030, India
*Present Address, H.No. 1-8-7263/3, Nallakunta, Hyderabad-500 044,
Online published on 29 December, 2011.
Two complete diets containing (1) 15% sunflower (Helianthus annum) straw and (2) 20% sunflower heads (Capitulum after removal of seeds) along with groundnut haulms and other ingredients were compared with a conventional diet containing concentrate mixture+chopped sorghum straw fed ad lib. in 18 lactating crossbred (Ongoie X Holstein Friesian, Av. milk yield 3.5kg) cows (6 in each group). DM,intake was comparable on all the diets. Digestibilities of OM, CP, hemicellulose (P<0.05) and lignin were significantly (P<0.01) higher on complete diet 2 compared to conventional diet. Complete diet 2, recorded significantly higher CP (P<0.05) and lignin (P<0.01) digestibilities compared to complete diet: 1. DCP content was highest (P<0.01) on complete diet 2 and lowest on conventtonal diet while TBN content was comparable on all the diets. All the animals met DCP and TDN requirements. Milk yield were and FCM yield 15.2 and 17.5% higher on complete diet 2 compared to other two diets. Complete diet 2 recorded 19.7 and 15.9% higher fat and SNF yield/d, respectively, compared to other two diets. Coss of feed/kg FCM production was 27.19 and 30.52 percent less on complete diets 1 and 2, respectively compared to conventional diet. Vindicated that it is economical to feed sunflower straw includiog sunflower heads sipto 20% along with groundnut haulms to lactating cows.
Sunflower straw, Sunflower heads, Groundnut haulms, Complete diet, Conventional diet, Crossbred cows
