Use of Bypass Fat for Augmentation of Production during Transition Period in Cross Bred Cattle

Bypass fat improves the energy balance of cattle during advance pregnancy and early lactation and aids in improvement of milk production and reproduction. The present study was conducted at farmers’ dairy farm by KVK Ropar. Twelve cross bred cattle in their late pregnancy (lactation number 2 to 4) and having an average 10-20 l/day peak milk yield were selected for the study. The animals were divided into two treatments groups with six animals in each group. T₁ group was fed without bypass fat according to farmer’s feeding schedule and T₂ was fed bypass fat @ 150g/d along with farmer’s feeding schedule. Feeding of bypass fat was started 30 d prepartum (expected date of parturition) and continued till 30 d postpartum. Weight of neonates, dam milk production, fat and SNF content were the parameters under study. The results indicated that initial (7-18 d postpartum) and final milk yield (19-30d postpartum) in group T₂ were significantly higher by 11.48% and 17.75% in comparison to T₁ group. The milk fat percent in T₂ was also significantly higher by 8.7% as compared to that in T₁ group. SNF percentage in T₂ group was non significantly higher by 0.4%. Average birth weights of the calves were 25.17±1.94 Kg and 28.67±1.75 kg in T₁ and T₂, respectively. At the end of 30 d trial period body weight of calves improved to 35.67±3.56 and 42.33±2.34 in T₁ and T₂ groups, respectively making it significantly higher by 18.69% in T₂ group (P<0.05).