Effect of Feeding and Grazing Practices on Growth Performance in Buffalo Calves

Abstract

Twelve growing buffalo calves, weighed about 141 kg, were selected from Livestock Research Center of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, for this experiment. Growing buffalo calves were placed on three dietary treatments i.e. recommended plane of nutrition, improved village practice (Leaonard C. Kearl, 1982) and grazing treatments. These animals were placed on dietary treatments, in a group of 4 for 6th fortnights. Significantly different body weight gain during 15t, 5 th and 61 h fortnights and cumulative body weight gain at the end of ·s th and 6 th fortnights were recorded. The cumulative body weight gain recorded on recommended plane of nutrition, improved village practice and grazing treatments were respectively 26.250±3.734a kg, 38.300±2.572b kg and 31.375±1.785ab kg (Table 12). The higher weight gain on improved village practice treatment was due to higher amount of barseem included in the diet as to meet the dry matter requirements of the animals (Table 13). DCP utilization efficiency was better on grazing treatment during 6th fortnight and it was due to restriction in the fodder available for grazing. The most important is feeding cost for gain (Rs/Kg) was significantly and drastically lower on grazing treatment which indicates that waste land, bank of the rivers, road sides and railway track sides can be utilized for grazing for low cost production.