Assessment of feeding practices and status of certain minerals of lactating cows in Porbandar district of Gujarat state

摘要

To assess the existing feeding practices and status of certain trace minerals in lactating cows, a field study was conducted in Porbandar district of Gujarat state. Feeding practices revealed that feeding of compound cattle feed and mineral mixtures were not common in the district. However, the concentrate ingredients were used by majority of the farmers for feeding to their animals. Average daily milk yield and dry matter intake in cows was 6.89 and 12.21 kg, respectively. Multistage Random samplingtechnique was used to select the respondents. Samples of feeds and fodder were collected from 40 farmers of 4 villages, two each from two tehsils in the district and analyzed for proximate, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (?) and certain trace minerals. Average intake as percent of requirement for protein (111.1%) and energy (132.4%) was slightly higher in lactating cows. Level of Ca ranged from 0.22 to 1.74% in roughages, as compared to 0.02 to 0.19% in concentrates. Average P content in concentrates (0.42%)was almost three times higher than that of roughages (0.14%). Except lucerne green (26.7 ppm), most of the feedstuffs recorded low level of copper (Cu). Manganese (Mn) content in feeds and fodder ranged from 9.65 to 72.96 ppm. Mn was found below the critical level in most of the concentrates, except wheat bran (48.99 ppm) and in dry roughages, except groundnut straw (54.07 ppm). More than 90% of fodder samples and around 50% of concentrate samples were found below critical level of zinc (Zn). The overall average Cu, Mn and Zn intake as percent of requirement were 80.83, 71.36 and 29.57%, respectively, in the cows of Porbandar district. Average intake of Cu and Zn (P<0.05) in Ranavav tehsil was higher than that of Porbandar tehsil. The intake of Mn incows between villages within Porbandar tehsil and between tehsils differed (P<0.05). From the study, it was found that Zn was the most deprived trace mineral element in the district. Mn and Cu were consumed 19.17 and 28.64% less by the cows as compared to their requirement, respectively.