Effect of Feeding Fresh Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), or its Silage on the Milk Production in Crossbred Cows

Fifteen crossbred (Haryana x Jersey) milch cows randomly divided into 5 equal groups were fed either fresh paragrass ad lib (T1) or 50% para hay + fresh water hyacinth (FWH, T2) or FWH ad lib (T1) or 50% para hay+50% water hyacinth paddy straw silage (WPS. T4) or WPS ad lib (T5) alongwith a standard concentrate mixture for 140 days. Results on milk yield (on FCM basis) indicated that T4 have better performance in terms of difference in daily milk yield. However, in terms of total milk production as well as total protein and fat yield in 100% WPS (T5) showed better results. There was no appreciable variation in respect of fat, total solid-not-fat, total protein, lactose and ash per cent of milk in different treatments.