Effect of Probiotics Supplementation on Nutrient Utilization, Production Performance and Economics of feeding in Lactating Kankrej Cows

The present study was conducted to see the effects of probiotics supplementation in lactating Kankrej cows on nutrient utilization, production performance, feed conversion efficiency and economics of feeding. A farm trial of 90 days was conducted in Kushkal village, Palanpur taluka of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat. Fourteen lactating Kankrej cows of uniform body weight, milk yield and with 2nd and/or 3rd lactation number in the initial stages of lactation were selected for the experiment to observe the effect of probiotic supplementation and were divided into two dietary treatments i) T₁ (control: concentrate mixture + Green fodder + Dry fodder) and ii) T₂, Probiotics supplementation (15 g/d/animal probiotics containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae; 1.5 × 10⁸ cfu/g and bacteria, Lactobacillus sporogens; 5 × 10⁷ cfu/g + T₁) were fed. The results revealed that supplementing probiotics to lactating Kankrej cows significantly improved intake of DM, CP and TDN while DCP intake, water intake and feed conversion efficiency of nutrients like DM, CP, DCP and TDN in relation to milk yield and FCM remained statistically similar as compared to control. The average DM intake of experimental cows during digestion trial in treatment groups T₁ and T₂ were 10.03±0.04 and 10.27±0.04 kg/d and when expressed as kg/100 kg B.wt. it was 2.66±0.06 and 2.75±0.09 and in terms of g/kg W^0.75 was 117.15±2.03 and 120.69±3.02. The treatment group T₂ recorded significantly higher (P≤0.01) DM intake. The average CP and TDN intake of T₁ were 1012.03±1.53 and 6135.39±254.17g/d respectively which were significantly lower (P≤0.05) than T₂ group having CP and TDN intake 1057.91±9.40 and 6919.64±262.35 g/d respectively, but the average DCP intake was 576.44±35.88 and 665.75±39.63 g/d, respectively, remained statistically (P≥0.05) similar. The average digestibility coefficient of OM, CP, CF and NFE in T₁ and T₂ were remain statistically (P≥0.05) similar except DM (65.21±1.88 and 70.89±1.76) and EE (46.92±2.78 and 59.78±3.47). The feed conversion efficiency of experimental Kankrej cows in treatment groups T₁ and T₁ in terms of intake of DM (kg/kg milk yield), CP (g/kg FCM), DCP (g/kg milk yield) and TDN (kg/kg FCM yield) respectively, were statistically (P≥0.05) similar. The results revealed that supplementing probiotics to lactating Kankrej cows significantly improved fat percent, 4% FCM while milk production and return as percent of feed cost were increased but remained statistically similar as compared to control.