Nutritional Status and Growth Performance of Female Calves Fed on Forage Based Low Grain Diets

Twenty one growing crossbred (Jersey X Tharparkar) female calves (87.04±7.09 kg), divided into 3 groups (G1, G2 and G3) of 7 animals each, were fed on a composite diet of wheat straw (ad libitum), berseem hay and concentrate mixture. Barley grain in concentrate mixture of control group (G1) was replaced with wheat bran (around 80%) in experimental groups (G2 and G3). While concentrate mixture of G1 and G2 groups contained groundnut cake (GNC), it was completely replaced with mustard cake (MSC) on nitrogen basis in G3 group. Calves were fed concentrate mixture to meet 60% of the protein requirement and the rest 40% was met through berseem hay. The experimental feeding was continued for 120 days. Average daily DM intake and digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF, ADF and cellulose were comparable among the dietary groups. Average daily gain (ADG) of calves were 448, 441 and 384 g in G1, G2 and G3 groups, respectively and the differences were nonsignificant. Average daily intake of DM, CP and TDN per kg live weight gain were more (P> 0.05) in calves of G3 group and ranged from 8.37 to 7.00, 1.20 to 1.04 and 5.13 to 4.20 kg, respectively, amongst the groups. Dietary variation did not influence the concentration of blood glucose, plasma protein and plasma urea nitrogen.