EFFECT OF DIETARY INCORPORATION OF NUTRACEUTICAL RESIDUE ON DRY MATTER INTAKE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN CROSSBRED CALVES

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with twelve weaned crossbred calves of one month of age for 90 days to assess the effect of dietary incorporation of nutraceutical residue on average daily dry matter intake and nutrient digestibility. Calves were divided into two groups (T1 and T2) as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and body weight and were offered calf starter containing nutraceutical residue at 0 and 20 per cent, respectively. Calf starters were made isonitrogenous and isocaloric (24 per cent CP and 70 per cent TDN) and calves were fed as per ICAR feeding standard (2013). Green grass was offered as the sole source of roughage. Data on average daily dry matter intake and digestibility of nutrients were taken. Average daily dry matter intake and digestibility did not show any significant difference (P >0.05) between the groups. It could be inferred that alfalfa pellet can be incorporated at 20% level in calf starter without affecting dry matter intake and nutrient digestibility

Keywords

• nutraceutical residue
• crossbred calves
• calf starter
• dry matter intake
• digestibility