Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola Krishinagar, Akola, Maharashtra (India)
*Corresponding author e-mail: sachin_todkar2002@yahoo.com
Online published on 18 February, 2013.
Growth performance of crossbred heifers was studied for a period of 8 weeks by feeding Sorghum and Gliricidia silage. For that study twenty heifers were divided into five groups on the nearness of age and weight. Five treatments were studied namely T1- Jowar + Gliricidia (100 + 0), T2- Jowar + Gliricidia (75 + 25), T3- Jowar + Gliricidia (50 + 50), T4- Jowar + Gliricidia (25 + 75), T5- Jowar + Gliricidia (0+ 100). The proximate analysis of silage combination showed higher Dry matter (DM) (32.21%) in T1- Jowar + Gliricidia (100 + 0), T5- Jowar + Gliricidia (0+ 100) was higher in Crude protein (CP) (18.12%) content, T2- Jowar + Gliricidia (75 + 25) was higher in Crude fiber (CF) (38.82%) content, T5- Jowar + Gliricidia (0+ 100) was higher in Ether extract (EE) (03.99%) content, T3- Jowar + Gliricidia (50 + 50) was higher in Nitrogen free extract (NFE) (44.98%) content, and T5- Jowar + Gliricidia (0 + 100), contains higher Ash (10.60%). The daily dry matter intake per 100 kg body weight of heifers was higher in T3 followed T5 and T4 treatments. The highest body weight gain in heifers was observed in treatment T4 (20.92 kg), followed by T3 (20.02 kg) and lowest in treatment T1 (11.00 kg) growth performance namely height, chest girth and length of heifers was more in T4 and T3 treatments as compared to T5, T1 and T2 treatments. The palatability of T1 - Jowar + Gliricidia (100 + 0) was higher over other silage combination.
Growth performance, Crossbred heifers, Sorghum and Gliricidia silage
