Nutritional status of animals with respect to macro nutrients in Western Plain Zone (WPZ) of Punjab was assessed by selecting 2 blocks each of. Ferozepur and Moga districts for the study. From each Tehsil, 2 villages and from each village at least 10 farmers of different socio-economic status were selected. Samples of feed and fodder (240–300), milk and urine (340) were collected from at least 2 lactating animals from each farm house. The socio-economic status of farmers revealed that small (2.57 ha) and medium (7.25 ha) farmers predominated (68%) and 19% of the farmers were landlords (19.14 ha). The relative propotion of buffaloes was higher in Ferozepur district than that in Moga district (74 vs 62%). The average milk yield of dairy animals was only 6 kg/animal/d. The animals in Moga District were offered higher (P<0.01) proportion of concentrate in the diet as compared to those of Ferozepur District, reverse but significant (P<0.01) trend was observed in roughage proportion. The CP and NDF contents of diet of Ferozepur and Moga district were comparable, while that of EE was higher (P<0.01) in Moga than Ferozepur district. The consumption of DM (13.7%) and CP (12.3%) was higher,while that of EE was slightly lower than the requirement of animals. Reproductive problems like anoestrus and repeat breeding were observed in 51.4% of farm-houses, mainly because only 2.5% of the farmers of Ferozepur and 9.5% of Moga district were supplementing the diet with mineral mixture. Milk urea N concentration was comparable in Ferozepur and Moga districts (5.4 vs 4.0 mM/l). The purine derivatives excreted in urine, the absorption of purines and synthesis of microbial nitrogen in the rumen of the animals of both the districts were comparable. It was concluded that the animals in the western plain zone of Punjab state were well fed with respect to macro-nutrients but there is a need to motivate the farmers to supplement the mineral mixture and common salt in the feed to improve the productive and reproductive efficiency of the animals.
Nutritional Status, Dairy Animals, Punjab
