ECONOMIC RAISING OF GIR ( Bos indicus ) CALVES BY FEEDING MILK REPLACER
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Date
2006
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Publisher
AAU, Anand
Abstract
An experiment of thirteen weeks duration was conducted on eighteen weaned Gir calves randomly divided into three groups of six each. The first group received whole milk feeding, while the second group received milk replacer feeding replacing 25 per cent of milk and the third group received milk replacer feeding replacing 50 per cent of whole milk. Milk replacer was more or less similar to milk in composition and could sustain tiie growth rate of weaned Gir calves as appeared from the acceptability. The results revealed non significant differences in average daily gains under three treatment groups though the periodical changes in body weight were linear in nature. Milk replacer fed groups recorded poor growth compared to whole milk fed group. Changes in biometry were also non significant due to treatment effect. Overall liquid feed consumption, concentrate intake, roughage intake, total DMI (g/day), per cent DMI and DMI per kg metabolic weight did not differ significantly among three treatment groups. Though the consumption pattern of DMI was at par in all the three treatment groups, body weight gain was poor in T-2 and T-3 due to negative growth recorded in the second week of the experiment. Feed efficiency was at par in all the three treatment groups and it was higher in T-1 followed by T-3 and T-2 indicating the superiority of natural milk to that of milk replacer. Overall difference in the cost of feeding/kg body weight gain was also non significant in three treatment groups. Cost of feeding/kg gain was the lowest in T-3 followed by T-1 and T-2.
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Keywords
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, A STUDY