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Comparative Evaluation of Cotton Seed Meal and Sunflower Seed Meal in Urea Molasses Blocks Versus Commercial Concentrate as Supplement to Basal Ration of Wheat Straw with Stall-fed Buffalo Calves |
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I. H. Mirza, M. I. Anjum, A. G. Khan, A. Azim |
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| Abstract |
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Eighteen water buffalo calves of Nili-Ravi breed (about 15 months age and of 147 12 kg average body weight and mixed sex) were used with six animals on each treatment. All the animals were fed long wheat straw for ad libitum intake as the basal ration. Animals in group-I were supplemented with ad libitum amount of urea molasses block having cotton seed meal (CSMB) while the animals in group-II were supplemented with ad libitum urea molasses block containing sunflower seed meal (SFMB) and group III animals were supplemented with a fixed amount of commercial concentrate feed (CCF). The experiment lasted for a period of 80 days (April to June). Results revealed a significantly decreased total feed intake (wheat straw+supplements) in group-III (1,666 52 g/h/d) as compared to group I (2,299 194 g/h/d) and group-II (2,193 230 g/h/d). Average daily supplement intakes were 891 87; 666 104 and 593 0 grams per head in group I, II and III, respectively. Supplement intakes among groups were different (p<0.05). Average daily body weight gains (g/h) were 214 25, 174 23 and 183 24 for group I, II and III, respectively. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was found to be 10.74 1.12, 12.60 0.88 and 9.90 1.33 grams for group No. I, II and III, respectively. The economic net benefit of live weight gain of calves were 7.63, 6.11 and 7.33 rupees/h/d for group No. I, II and III, respectively. Thus SFM can replace CSM and urea molasses blocks can replace commercial concentrates as supplement to basal ration of wheat straw |
| Keywords:
Buffalo Calves; Urea-molasses Blocks; Cotton Seed Meal; Sunflower Seed Meal; Commercial Concentrate; Wheat Straw |
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