Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition

Twenty male buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves of about 15 months of age (200.2 ±9.75k mean body weight) were divided into four groups (n=5 per group). Animals in the control group (T1) were fed a standard diet comprising of concentrate mixture (20% maize, 27% soybean meal, 50% wheat bran,2% mineral mixture and 1% common salt) and ad libitum wheat straw. Animals in the experimental groups were also fed same standard diet but they were additionally supplemented with 40 ppm of zinc along with either 10 ppm copper (Cu, T2), 0.3 ppm selenium (Se, T3) or both i.e. 10 ppm Cu+0.3 ppm Se (T4). Experimental feeding was done for 120 days including a six days metabolism trial. The intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and digestibility of different nutrients i. e. DM, OM, crude protein (CP), ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose were similar (P>0.05) among the four groups. Similarly, supplementation of these minerals had no significant effect on balance of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus; feed: gain ratio and intake of digestible CP and total digestible nutrients. The growth rate (g/d) of the buffalo calves was numerically higher in all the three mineral supplemented groups (T2, 607; T3, 611 and T4, 626) as compared to the control group (577), but differences were not different statistically (P>0.05). These results suggested that supplementation of 10 ppm Cu and/or 0.3 ppm Se along with 40 ppm zinc had no beneficial effect on the growth rate and nutrient utilization in the buffalo calves.