Effect of supplementing garlic powder on the performance of the Sahiwal calves
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Date
2023
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College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus
Abstract
The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing garlic powder on the performance of Sahiwal calves. Twelve healthy Sahiwal calves of both sexes of similar age and body weight were allocated to two experimental groups, control (T0) and treatment (T1) with six animals in each group. Calves of both groups were fed with a standard basal diet consisting of concentrate, green fodder, and paddy straw. While in the treatment group, garlic powder was supplemented @ 250 mg/kg body weight along with concentrate feed. The experiment was conducted as a feeding trial for eight fortnights and a digestibility trial thereafter for five days in the two experimental groups.
The average initial and final body weights in the 8th fortnight of the calves were 81.81±0.34 and 81.46±0.35 kg and 148.75±0.40 and 153.84±0.38 kg respectively in T0 and T1 groups. Analysis of the variance of the data revealed a highly significant difference (P<0.01) in average body weight in the control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups.
The overall fortnightly body weight gain was significantly higher (P<0.01) in the treatment group (603±17.00 g) than in the control group (558±17.00 g) of calves. The fortnightly body weight gain was higher (P<0.01) in the treatment group than in the control group from the 1st to 8th fortnight.
The overall average daily DM intake was 2.98±0.06 kg in the control group (T0) and 2.97±0.07 kg in the treatment group (T1). Feeding of garlic powder in treatment (T1) had no significant effect on dry matter intake all fortnights. Also, analysis of variance results revealed no significant (P>0.05) difference between the average values of DM intake between control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups.
The average FCR values were 6.10±0.07 and 5.26±0.08 in 1st fortnight 4.88±0.05 and 4.73±0.06 in the 8th fortnight in control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups respectively. On an overall basis, FCR values were 5.42±0.06 and 4.96±0.04 respectively in the control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups. Analysis of variance revealed that there was a highly significant (P<0.01) effect of supplementation of garlic powder on the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the experimental animals. Further, the C.D. test revealed that the FCR in the treatment (T1) group was significantly reduced from the 2nd fortnight to the 8th fortnight compared to the control (T0) group.
The overall mean values of the conformation traits in the control group (T0 ) and treatment group (T1) groups respectively were: 74.53±2.12 and 79.31±2.41 cm for body length; 86.40±1.74 and 90.80±1.91 cm for chest girth as well as 78.22±2.00 and 82.18±2.10 cm for height at wither. All the conformation traits revealed a highly positive correlation with body weight. Analysis of variance of conformation traits showed highly significant (P<0.01) difference between the control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups respectively.
The overall mean values of the physiological parameters in the T0 and T1 groups respectively were as: respiration rate, 28.61±0.21 and 28.79±0.14 breath per minute; pulse rate, 72.20±0.07and 72.20±0.07 beats per minute and rectal temperature, 101.36±0.04 and 101.30±0.03 oF. Analysis of the variance of the data revealed no significant (P>0.05) difference in respect of the three parameters between the control (T0) and treatment (T1) groups.
The blood biochemical and hematological parameters like. serum glucose, serum total protein, RBC and hemoglobin were within the normal range for Sahiwal calves in both the control and treatment groups. Serum glucose data did not reveal any significant
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difference (P>0.05). while serum total protein, RBC and Hemoglobin showed highly significant (P<0.01) difference between control and treatment group. The average digestibility coefficient (%) in T0 and T1 groups respectively were: 67.73±0.12 and 73.41±0.14 for dry matter (DM); 71.08±0.2 and 76.28±0.14 for organic matter (OM); 66.73±0.25 and 71.76±0.14for crude protein (CP); 66.50±0.17 and 72.69±0.08 for ether extract (EE); 63.97±0.27 and 72.37±0.18 for crude fibre (CF) and 73.40 ±1.06 and 79.26±0.73 for nitrogen-free extract (NFE). Analysis of the data revealed significantly (P<0.01) higher digestibility of the organic nutrients in garlic powder supplemented treatment (T1) group than control (T0) group. The economic analysis of the cost of feeding the experimental calves revealed the following: total DM consumption per calf was 357.19 and 356.02 kg, cost of per kg feed (DM) was Rs. 15.42 and 15.42, and the cost of feed per group was Rs. 5532.87 and 5489.90 , the total cost of garlic powder Rs. 0.00 and Rs. 300 , the net cost of feed per day per calf was Rs. 5532.87 and Rs. 5789.90 , net feed cost per dayper calf Rs. 46.12 and 48.25, weight gain per calf was 30.00 and 32.65 kg, and finally cost of feeding per kg gain was Rs. 184.42 and 177.33 in control (T0) and treatment (T1) respectively. From the results, it was observed that the total cost of feeding was a little higher in the treatment group than in the control group. However, the total body weight gain was higher in the treatment group (T1) than in the control group (T0) which resulted in a lower cost of feeding per kg weight gain in the treatment than in the control group. The present study revealed that the supplementation of garlic powder at dosage of 250 mg/kg body weight in the Sahiwal calf ration is beneficial in terms of body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, body confirmation traits, hematological parameters, blood biochemicals , digestibility coefficient (%) and economic of feeding