Effect of fish meal on growth and feed conversion efficiency in crossbred calves
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Date
1995
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Department of Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy
Abstract
An investigation spread over a period of 126 days was carried out to assess the effect of fish meal in concentrate mixtures of calves for growth. Eighteen crossbred calves of 5-7 months of age and about 70 kg mean initial body weight, divided into three identical groups formed the experimental subjects. The calves in groups I, II and III were maintained on concentrate mixtures containing 0 (diet A) , 5 (diet B) and 10 (diet C) per cent respectively of fish meal along with grass hay fed ad libitum as the sole roughage.
Data on body weight and body measurements, feed conversion efficiency, digestibility of nutrients, haematological values and economics of feeding of the calves were the criteria employed for the evaluation.
The intake of DM, CP, DCP and TDN (g/kg metabolic body weight) were not significantly different among the animals in three groups. The digestibility coefficients of crude protein and ether extract were significantly higher in animals of group I than in those of groups II and III.
The average daily gain in body weight were 487, 500 and 554 g respectively for the animals in groups I, II and III respectively and the increase in growth response was linearly and positively correlated to the level of fish meal in the diet. Although, body measurements did not reveal any significant difference among the groups, the slightly higher values obtained in group III indicated that calves fed diet containing 10 per cent fish meal had higher skeletal and muscle growth than those fed diets A and B.
Highest feed and protein conversion efficiency were shown by calves of group III fed fish meal at 10 per cent level in the diet followed by those in group II and I. Diet C containing 10 per cent fish meal in the concentrate mixture was proved to be most cost effective.
Though the haematological parameters did not reveal any significant difference among the groups, the slightly higher value for plasma protein obtained for animals in group III indicated the relatively better nutritional status of animals maintained on diet C over the animals on diet A and B.
An overall critical assessment of the results clearly indicated that fish meal can be included in calf ration at 10 per cent level in partial replacement of vegetable protein supplements like groundnut oil cake, with beneficial results in terms of biological and economic efficiency.
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