Animal Nutrition Section, National Dairy Research Institute, Bangalore560 030, India
Online published on 5 January, 2012.
Eighteen cross-bred female calves (12m; 108 kg) were randomly divided into three equal groups and fed 100 (Gp I), 75 (Gp II) and 125 (dp III) per cent of recommended rumen degradable protein (RDP) and metabolizeable energy (ME) for a period of 200 d. The average daily weight gain of calves in corresponding groups was 380, 260 and 520 g. There was no significant difference in the digestibility of nutrients in the three groups. Animals in group III retained significantly higher amount of N than the animals in groups I and II. It was observed that an average gain of 500 g/d could be achieved in cross-bred calves by supplying 25 per cent extra RDP and ME than the recommended levels.
