Effect of Three Different Forms of Zinc on Growth Performance, Digestibility, Blood Profiles and Antioxidant Status of Sahiwal Heifers

The current study was designed to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation of organic and nano zinc on the performance of Sahiwal heifers. A total of twenty young Sahiwal heifers were randomly assigned into four groups having five animals based on body weight and age for a period of 90 days. The control group was given on a basal diet whereas, group T1 was supplemented basal diet with 40mg/kg DM Zn glycinate, group T2 was supplemented basal diet with 40mg/kg DM Zn peptide, and group T3 was supplemented with a basal diet with 20mg/kg DM nano Zn oxide. The dietary requirements of the heifers were adequately met by providing a ration consisting of concentrate, jowar (Sorghum) fodder, and wheat straw in a 50:30:20 ratio on a dry matter (DM) basis. No effect on DMI, Feed conversion ratio (FCR), Feed conversion efficiency (FCE) but ADG was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the nano zinc-supplemented group. There was no significant effect (P>0.05) on blood parameters except MCHC which was significantly higher in nano zinc supplemented groups. Treatment groups showed significantly higher (P<0.05) plasma globulin, ALP, glucose and lower bilirubin, PUN whereas, no significant effect (P>0.05) was found on albumin, total protein, triglycerides, cholesterol, ALT, AST, and creatinine. No effect on plasma minerals except serum zinc level. SOD, FRAP, and total plasma immunoglobulin concentrations were significantly higher in the treatment groups than in the control group. Finally, it may be concluded that nano Zn supplementation @20ppm and Zn pep @40ppm can be supplemented in heifer’s diet for better performance without adversely affecting nutrient digestibility, blood profile, and antioxidant status.