Feeding Pattern, Prevalence of Reproductive Disorders and Nutritional Status of Available Feedstuffs for Dairy Animals in Indore District of Madhya Pradesh

In Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, survey on the feeding pattern and prevalence of reproductive problems of dairy animals was done. Feeding of the dairy animals was based mainly on either wheat or gram straw with cotton seed cake as a basic ingredient of the ration and some farmers incorporated concentrate mixture and wheat bran, additionally. The reproductive status of dairy animals highlighted the highest incidence of anestrous followed by repeat breeding and retention of placenta. The available feeds were analyzed for proximate principles Ca and P and trace elements Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and Co. The feed stuffs available for these animals were wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw, gram (Cicer arietinum) straw, masoor (Lens esculentum) straw, soybean (Glycine max) straw, wheat bran, cotton (Gossipium spp) seed cake and concentrate mixtures. Among different straws masoor straw was superior in terms of its protein value, while the overall quality of soybean straw remained best. Exceptionally high fat content of cotton seed cake remained questionable regarding its quality. Higher amounts of TA and AIA in concentrate mixture also indicate its adulteration with some indigestible stuff. Phosphorus remained the major element of concern due to its deficient levels in different concentrate feeds, which usually observe as major supplement of phosphorus among common feedstuffs.

It may be concluded that the dairy animals of Indore district of Madhya Pradesh have a very high age at first calving and calving interval, additionally high prevalence of reproductive disorders (38.25% in cross bred cows and 31.62% in buffaloes) indicated poor nutritional status of these animals. The nutritional status of feedstuffs also highlights the imbalance of macro and micro nutrients; hence supplementation of strategic nutrients for these animals may be a beneficial approach for getting optimum reproductive performance.