INFLUENCE OF PLANE OF NUTRITION DURING PREPARTUM PERIOD ON BIRTH WEIGHT AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE IN MURRAH BUFFALO CALVES
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Date
2019
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ICAR-NDRI, KARNAL
Abstract
The present study investigated the effect of feeding high plane of nutrition to
prepartum Murrah buffaloes on birth weight of calves and their performance,
nutrient utilization, and blood metabolites. The study comprised of three phases.
In phase-I, Feed ingredients viz. grains like maize, oats, agro-industrial
byproducts like wheat bran, deoiled rice bran, oil cakes namely mustard oil cake
(MOC), groundnut cake (GNC) and soybean meal (SBM) and forages namely,
maize, Oats, berseem, sugargraze and wheat straw were evaluated for their
metabolizable protein (MP), metabolizable energy (ME), in addition to detailed
composition. MP (%) was highest in maize grain (7.53), wheat bran (9.28) and
groundnut cake (28.77) and was lowest in oats (7.02), deoiled rice bran (8.26)
and mustard oil cake (21.26) among grains, byproducts and oil cakes groups,
respectively. In phase-II, forty pregnant Murrah (4 months before parturition)
buffaloes were divided into four experimental groups on the basis of parity,
previous lactation yield and body weight. The feeding trial was conducted till the
date of parturition. Four treatment groups were fed diets as control (MP and ME
levels as per ICAR, 2013 requirements), high metabolizable energy (HME, 30%
more ME than ICAR 2013 requirements), high metabolizable protein (HMP, 40%
more MP than ICAR 2013 requirements) and high metabolizable protein and
metabolizable energy (HMEMP, ME level 30% more and 40% more MP than
ICAR 2013) ration respectively. Concentrate mixture, green fodder (maize) and
dry roughage (wheat straw) were offered to individual animal as per experiment
protocol. The DMI (kg/100 kg BW), MEI (Mcal/100 kg BW) and MPI (g/100 kg
Body weight) during the prepartum differ significantly among the treatments. The
mean MPI (g/100 kg BW), CPI (g/100 kg BW), TDNI (g/100 kg BW) during
prepartum duration were 70.88, 74.93, 113.21 and 110.24; 132.62, 130.33,
197.96 and 191.74; and 914.93, 1115.80, 1031.55 and 1118.22 in control, HME,
HMP and HMEMP, respectively. A metabolic trial of 7 days duration was carried
one month before expected parturition to estimate the nutrient digestibility and
nitrogen retention of the four experimental diets. DM digestibility was 62.87,
63.21, 66.81 and 68.28 in control, HME, HMP and HMEMP, groups respectively.
The digestibility of OM, CP and EE, was 64.96, 65.94, 68.61, 69.72; 55.11, 59.69,
64.00 and 65.14; 67.29, 84.23, 68.32 and 80.79, respectively in control, HME,
HMP and HMEMP, groups respectively. CP digestibility was higher (P<0.05) in
HMP and HMEMP as compared to that of HME and control groups. The mean N
intake, N outgo in faeces and urine, and nitrogen balance were affected by
different level of MP and ME in the diet. There was significant change in blood
biochemistry including, energy status (gluocse), protein status (total protein,
albumin and globulin) ratio of energy and protein (BUN), immune status (IgG) and
antioxidant activity (SOD). There was no significant change in liver function test
(AST and ALT), kidney function test (creatinine) and lactate dehydrogenase.
Average birth weight (kg) of calves was 29.36, 31.44, 33.33 and 36.44 in control,
HME, HMP and HMEMP, respectively.
The phase –III was again divided into study 1 and study 2. In study 1,
Thirty six Murrah buffalo calves obtained from above mentioned groups were
divided into four groups and fed as per their dams feeding protocol. The DMI
(g/d), CPI (g/d)) and TDNI (g/d) during the preruminant period differ significantly
among the treatments. The mean CPI (g/d), TDNI (g/d) during prepartum duration
were 160.50, 165.61, 219.22 and 218.61; 741.43, 857.38, 876.22 and 990.98 in
control, HME, HMP and HMEMP, respectively. Nutrient intake of CP, TDN and
ME was above the ICAR (2013), recommendations in all groups. ADG was
significantly high in HMEMP group (462.96 g/d). Digestibility of DM, OM and CP
was significantly high HMEMP group.
In study 2, Murrah buffalo calves were fed with control, HME, HMP and
HMEMP diets from 91-240 days of age. DMI (kg/100 kg body weight) did not
differ among different groups. ME intake (Mcal/100 kg body weight) and MP
intake (g/100 kg body weight) differ significantly among different groups. The
mean ME intake (Mcal/100 kg body weight) and MP intake (g/100 kg body
weight) were 6.07, 8.36, 6.26 and 7.95; 243.68, 231.85, 331.77 and 318.06 in
control, HME, HMP and HMEMP, respectively. DMI was less than ICAR (2013)
recommendations in all experimental groups. Plane of nutrition affected the ADG
which was significantly high in HMEMP group (633.85 g/d) however; FCE and
FCR were not altered by plane of nutrition in Murrah buffalo calves. Digestibility
of DM, OM and CP was significantly high HMEMP group.
From the present study it was concluded that feeding 40 % more protein
and 30% extra energy (ICAR, 2013) during last 4 months of pregnancy to Murrah
buffaloes resulted in higher birth weight of calves. Similarly feeding of calves at
higher plane of nutrition improved their growth performance without affecting their
health.