Effect of Feeding Protected Protein on growth Performance and Physiological Reaction in Crossbred Heifers

Eighteen crossbred heifers, divided into 3 groups of 6 each, were allotted to three dietary treatments. In treatment T 1 animals were fed on concentrate mixture based on untreated groundnut cake (GNC) while those in treatments T 2 and T 3 were fed on protected GNC treated with formaldehyde @ 0.5 g and 1.0 g FA/100 g CP, respectively, along with wheat straw ad lib. + green berseem (5 kg). Effects of different dietary treatment groups on average daily DM, CP, DCP and TDN intake were nonsignificant. Mean maximum and minimum temperature during the study was 33.17 and 20.51°C, respectively. The average weekly relative humidity (RH) in the morning and evening ranged from 33.0 to 90.0 per cent and 10.0 to 54.0 per cent, respectively. Feeding of protected GNC, irrespective of the level of FA, did not influence the morning and evening rectal temperature, however, respiration rate was higher (P<0.05) in group T3 than in group T1. Morning pulse rate was significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. It was inferred that feeding formaldehyde treated GNC increased supply of essential amino acids without any adverse effect on rumen function, causing significant increase in growth rate in crossbred heifers.