Determination of Nutritional Status of Dairy Cattle With the Help of Milk Urea Nitrogen Under Field and Farm Condition

Abstract

The present study was conducted to study the milk urea nitrogen concentration at different farms and asses nutritionjl status of their animals through milk urea nitrogen and to study the feeding cost of milk production. The study was carried out on three different farms viz. Military Dairy Farm, Meerut Cantt (MF); I Private Dairy F;arm, Shivaya (PF) and Livestock Research Centre (LRC) of SVP Uni. of Ag. & Tech.Meerut. From each farnt 10 adult milking cows were selected randomly. At MF cows belonged to Frieswal breed. At PF, the cows were crossbred while at LRC the cows were of Sahiwal breed. The wheat straw/ oat straw ( 4 kg to each cows) was offeted in the morning hours at around 10:00 AM and half of the wheat straw/ oat straw ( 4 kg to each cows) was offeted in the evening hours at around 4:00 PM. The samples of feed materials. fed at different farms were collected at weekly interval. At Military Farm, Meerut, the DM, CP, CF, EE, Total Ash and AlA content of green maize varied from 20.07 to 25.16%, 6.22 to 10.42%, 28.56 to 32.90%, 1.98 to 2.17%, 7.15 to 11.59% and 3.40 to 4.66% respectively during different weeks. The DM, CP, CF, EE, total Ash and AlA content in wheat straw ranged from 95.40 to 96.00%, 4.90%, 41.62 to 47.05%, 1.70 to 1.93%, 5.22 to 7.48% and 3.16 to 5.50% respectively. The DM, CP, CF, EE, total Ash and AlA content in concentrate feed ranged from 92.00 to 92.60%, 13.57 to 13.74%, 4.92 to 6.66%, 2.10 to 2.27%, 7.12 to 7.86% and 1.77 to 2.43% respectively. The dry matter intake (kg/qay) of experimental lactating cows at LRC, SVPUA&T Meerut was significantly lower (p<0.01) than Military Farm, Meerut and Private Dairy Farm, Shivaya, Meerut where the dry matter intake was highest. The experimental la,ctating cows were fed on the basis of their milk production therefore the cows at Private Dairy Farm, Shivaya Meerut were getting maximum quantity of concentrate than the cows at other farms. The crude protein intake ~f the experimental lactating cows at LRC, SVPUA&T, Meerut was significantly lower (p<0.01) than the crude protein intake of the experimental lactating cows at Private Dairy Farm, Shivaya and Military Farm, Meerut. Milk urea nitrogen content in the milk of experimental lactating cows at Private Dairy Farm, Shivaya was s~gnificantly higher (p<O.OI) than the milk urea nitrogen content in the milk of experimental lactating cows 'at Military Farm, Meerut and LRC, SVPUA&T, Meerut. The average feeding cost of milk production was· recorded as 8.61±0.29 Rs./kg which was significantly lower (p<0.01) than average cost of milk production at Military Farm, Meerut and LRC, SVPUA&T, Meerut. It was concluded that the high level of milk urea nitrogen is detrimental to animal health therefore it must be brought down either by lowering down the crude protein content in the diet of the cow or by increasing energy content of the ration being fed to the cows so that the ingested prqtein could be used perfectly by the animal.