P. GangadeviCHITHRIMA SEETHAL.C.R2020-07-272020-07-272018http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810149852A feeding trial was conducted for a period of 90 days to assess the effect of dietary incorporation of Dhanwantharam thailam residue (DTR) on growth performance in calves. Eighteen healthy crossbred female calves of three to four months of age were selected from University Livestock Farm and Fodder Research and Development Scheme (ULF & FRDS), Mannuthy. They were divided into three groups of six animals each as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and body weight and were randomly allotted to one of the three dietary treatments, T1 (calf starter without DTR), T2 (calf starter with 20 per cent DTR) and T3(calf starter with 30 per cent DTR ) using CRD. All the experimental animals were fed as per ICAR feeding standard, 2013. Fresh good quality green grass was offered as the sole roughage. Data on body weight gain, daily dry matter consumption, feed conversion efficiency, digestibility of nutrients, haematological and serum biochemical parameters such as haemoglobin, serum total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, BUN, total cholesterol, HDLcholesterol, AST, ALT, calcium and phosphorus and cost of feed per kg body weight gain were the criteria employed for evaluation of the study. Average daily gain and total weight gain were 331.15 g and 27.82 kg, 375.20 g and 31.52 kg and 330.75 g and 27.78 kg, respectively for calves fed T1, T2 and T3 and the values were similar. Total dry matter intake of calves was 177.10, 188.44 and 178.36 kg, respectively for T1, T2 and T3 and they were statistically similar. Feed conversion efficiency for calves fed T1, T2 and T3 was 6.76, 6.02 and 6.44, respectively (P>0.05). The per cent digestibility of nutrients was 72.93, 75.49 and 80.33 for DM , 79.38, 81.95 and 86.67 for CP ,78.00, 82.94 and 84.04 for EE, 73.53, 73.78 and 77.80 for NFE, 61.85,61.97 and 70.58 for NDF and 41.41,45.77 and 55.09 for ADF , respectively for calves fed T1 , T2 and T3. There was significant improvement in the digestibility of DM, ADF (P<0.05) and CP (P<0.01) in T3 compared to T1 and T2. But there was no significant difference among the groups in the digestibility of other nutrients. The haematological and serum biochemical parameters such as total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol, calcium, ALT, AST, blood urea nitrogen did not show any significant difference between the treatments and the values were within the normal range reported for the species. But the blood haemoglobin and serum phosphorus were significantly higher in T2 and T3 compared to T1; however the values were within the normal range reported for the species. The feed cost per kg body weight gain for the calves fed T1, T2 and T3 were Rs. 151.13, 122.28 and 118.97, respectively. From the results obtained on the present study it could be observed that calves in T2 and T3 had similar growth performance as that of T1.The calves maintained on calf starter with DTR recorded reduced feed cost per kg body weight gain compared to calves fed calf starter without DTR. On summarizing the overall results of the present study it is inferred that Dhanwantharam thailam residue can be recommended as an ingredient in the concentrate mixture for calves up to 30 per cent level by replacing yellow maize.ennullThesis