Nutritive Value of Para Grass (Brachiaria Mutica) at Two Stages of Growth in Cow and Buffalo Calves

Rainfed para (Brachiarea mutica) grass was fed at two stages of growth, i.e., green (45% DM) and partially dry (73% DM) to growing cow and buffalo calves. The protein requirement of the calves was met through para grass and concentrate in ratio of 25 :75. The forage was low in CP (3.16-3.45%) and high in NDF (68.04-79.92%). Intakes of DM, DCP in cow and buffalo calves (g/kg W^0.75) in period I (October-November) and II (December-March were 119.39±6.82, 105.16+13.75 and 103.32±2.15, 98.87±6.06, 11.39±0.65, 10.28±1.34 and 5.45±0.10, 6.20±0.18, respectively. The digestibility coefficients of the nutrients and N balance were higher in cow calves than buffalo calves in period I but this was reversed in period II. The growth rate in the two species did not differ.