STUDY ON FEEDING PRACTICES AND MINERAL STATUS OF LACTATING JAFFRABADI BUFFALO IN JUNAGADH DISTRICT OF GUJARAT 2830
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Date
2019-06
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Publisher
JAU, JUNAGADH
Abstract
The present study was conducted to study on feeding practices and minerals
status of lactating Jaffrabadi buffaloes of Junagadh district of Gujrat. Jaffrabadi
buffalo is one of the heaviest buffalo breed in the world. Home tract of the breed is
Gir forest in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Conventional feeding practices followed by
the majority of farmers and these are based on available green fodder, dry fodder and
concentrate that is why per animal productivity is low India. The deficiency of
certain minerals may not affect crop yields but their availability from such forages
may be inadequate for the requirement of livestock. It is, therefore, necessary to
generate information on mineral status, zone wise to identify deficiencies and toxicity.
Aim of the present study is to survey feeding practices followed by lactating
Jaffrabadi buffalo owners in Junagadh district, to assess proximate constituents of
feeds and fodder, to assess the mineral status of soil, feeds/fodder and lactating
Jaffrabadi buffaloes and to study the soil-plant-animal relationship in with the mineral
status of the area. For the present study, 05 talukas of Junagadh district of Gujarat
were selected randomly, 04 villages from each taluka and 3 respondents from each
selected village. Total 20 villages were selected randomly for the study and 60
Jaffrabadi buffalo owners were interviewed to generate knowledge on feeding
practices adopted for their lactating Jaffrabadi buffaloes. Samples of soil, feeds and
blood collected and analyses as pre standard procedure to know the status of the
minerals in the study area.
The study showed that a majority of respondents 60 % and 75 % having small
to medium size land holding and small hard size (<5 buffaloes).
The survey work revealed that most of the respondents reared the animals on
stall feeding and supplementation of green maize, marvel grass, jowar hay, groundnut
haulms and cottonseed cake. Generally, 18.23±1.70 kg available green fodders,
11.72±0.43 kg available dry fodders and 7.29±0.23 kg concentrate were fed daily to
lactating Jaffrabadi buffaloes. Average DMI of lactating Jaffrabadi buffaloes are
20.04±0.28 kg/day.The concentrate was fed twice in a day at a time of milking and the majority of
respondents (95%) used readymade concentrate mixture. Soaking of concentrate was
practiced by the majority (65%) of respondents.
Majority of respondents were not practicing mineral supplementation
(88.33%), salt supplementation (81.67%) and deworming (51.67%) to their buffaloes.
Among the soil minerals, Ca (0.98±0.04%), Mg (0.24±0.02%), Cu (2.28±0.13
ppm) and Fe (3.71±0.46 ppm) were found above the critical level while, P
(0.0024±0.00015%) and Zn (1.19±0.13ppm) were found below the critical level.
The average Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Fe and Zn content in green fodders, dry fodders
and concentrate were, 0.32±0.03%, 0.95±0.06% and 0.33±0.08%, 0.14±0.01,
0.13±0.02 and 0.40±0.02, 0.25±0.02, 0.54±0.02 and 0.31±0.02, 22.92±6.40,
21.34±4.61 and 20.80±2.42, 467.90±71.16, 1310.27±116.08 and 241.78±22.92 and
32.49±1.65, 22.63±1.12 and 46.07±2.12, respectively.
The Ca was found deficient in maize (0.23%), sorghum (0.18%), gajraj grass
(0.24%), cottonseed cake (0.16%), cottonseed (0.12%), sugarcane (0.06%) and maize
cake (0.25%). Whereas marvel grass (0.40%), bajra (1.02%), groundnut haulms
(0.95%) and conc. mix (0.36%) were adequate in calcium. The P was found deficient
in maize (0.15%), sorghum (0.17%), marvel grass (0.12%), gajraj grass (0.16%),
sugarcane (0.07%) and groundnut haulms (0.12%). Whereas, cottonseed cake
(0.40%), cottonseed (0.34%) and conc. mix (0.38%) were adequate in phosphorus.
Most of the feedstuff was found adequate in magnesium except, green jowar (0.18%),
sugarcane (0.05%) and maize cake (0.10%). Most of the feedstuff was found adequate
in copper except, sugarcane (5.90ppm) and maize cake (5.09ppm). All the feedstuff
was found adequate in iron. The Zn was found deficient in marvel grass (28.72ppm),
sugarcane (12.03 ppm) and groundnut haulms (20.73 ppm). Whereas, maize (33.95
ppm), sorghum (30.57 ppm), gajraj grass (70.47 ppm), cottonseed cake (45.85 ppm),
cottonseed (43.67 ppm) and maize cake (37.97 ppm), conc. mix (74.10 ppm) was
adequate in zinc.
Among the blood plasma minerals of lactating Jaffrabadi buffaloes, Ca
(12.58±0.41mg/dL), P (6.37±0.16mg/dL), Mg (5.61±0.21mg/dL), Cu (1.11±0.13
ppm), Fe (4.15±0.23ppm) and Zn (3.30±0.39ppm) were found in normal level.
Soil calcium having a significant positive relation with that of blood and dry
fodder calcium. Blood magnesium having a significant positive relation with dry
fodder magnesium. Soil iron having a significant positive relation with blood iron and
highly significant positive relation with green fodder iron.