Nutritional Status of Cows and Buffaloes during Advanced Pregnancy in Indore District of Madhya Pradesh

In Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, reproductive problems and metabolic disorders are common in dairy animals under field conditions. To find out the nutritional causes behind these problems, 40 advanced pregnant cross bred cows and 60 buffaloes of similar physiological status, were selected randomly from the villages in and around Mhow tehsil of Indore district of Madhya Pradesh. Each species of animals was further divided into two equal groups i. e. cows fed on wheat straw based ration (WSFC, n=20) or gram straw based ration (GSFC, n=20) and similarly buffaloes fed on wheat straw based ration (WSFB, n=30) or gram straw based ration (GSFB, n=30). Average daily feed intake of each animal was recorded and samples of different feed stuffs were taken for estimation of proximate principles and calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), in order to determine nutrient availability. Deficiency/excess of various nutrients was calculated by comparing with the standard requirements. Digestible crude protein (DCP), Total digestible nutrients (TDN) and carotene were calculated from reported values. Results indicated shortage of DCP (by 44 and 20%), TDN (by 17 and 15%), P (by 71 and 78%) and carotene (by 40 and 37%) in WSFC and GSFC respectively. While the Ca supply was deficit (by 16%) in WSFC, it remained in excess (by 407%) for GSFC. Similarly these shortages remained 60 and 20% for DCP, 38 and 38% for TDN, 80 and 87% for P and 53 and 54% for carotene in WSFB and GSFB, respectively. Here also the Ca supply was deficit (by 41%) in WSFB, where as it was excess by 282% in GSFB. From the above studies it may be concluded that there was a shortage of both major as well as minor nutrients in both species of animals under two crop residues based rations and thus multiple nutrient deficiencies in the ration of dairy animals could be probable cause of above mentioned reproductive problems and metabolic disorders.