Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition
Year : 2006, Volume : 23, Issue : 1
First page : ( 5) Last page : ( 9)
Print ISSN : 0970-3209. Online ISSN : 2231-6744.

Effect of feeding total mixed rations on the performance of buffalo calves

Thakur S. S., Tomar S. K., Malik Raman

Dairy Cattle Nutrition Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001, India

Received:  7  June,  2005.

Abstract

Male Murrah buffalo calves (18; 8–9 m old of 122.23±10.26 kg BW) were divided into 3 equal groups and fed total mixed rations (TMR) containing concentrate: green maize fodder: wheat straw in 50:25:25 proportions on DM basis for 120 days. Concentrate of TMR₁ comprised of traditional feed ingredients whereas that of TMR₂ and TMR₃ contained concentrates in which maize and barley grains were replaced with wheat, groundnut cake with mustard cake and urea, mineral mixture reduced by 0.5% and common salt increased by 0.5%. There was no effect on DM and CP intake, whereas TDN and DCP intakes were higher (P<0.05) in calves fed TMR₃ and TMR₂than those fed TMR₁. The digestibility nutrients of was similar except that of CP which was higher (P<0.01) in calves fed TMR₃ than those fed TMR₁ and TMR₂. Similarly digestibility of CF and EE was higher (P<0.05) in calves fed TMR₂ and TMR₃ than those fed TMR₁. For rumen fermentation study, rumen fistulated male buffaloe calves (9; 2.0–3.0 yr old of 238.36±13.97kg BW) were divided into three equal groups and fed the same three rations as was done and in the growth trial. The type of TMR did not have any significant effect on rumen metabolites or microbial counts. The N, Ca and P retention was statistically similar in all the groups. The average daily grain was significantly (P<0.01) higher in calves fed TMR₃ as compared to those fed TMR₁ and TMR₂. Feed cost (Rs/kg BW gain) was significantly (P<0.01) lower in calves fed TMK₂ and TMR₃ than that of TMR₁. It was concluded that the feeding of TMR based on locally available cheap feed ingredients improved the growth rate and reduced the cost of feeding in buffalo calves.

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Keywords

TMR, Rumen fermentation, Growth, Nutrient utilization, Buffalo calves.

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