Performance of Female Calves Fed Sorghum Silage and Concentrate Mixture Containing Formaldehyde Treated Groundnut Cake

Eighteen crossbred (Haryana s Holstein) female calves (8–13 months, 127±9.54 kg b.wt.), divided into 3 groups of 6 each, were fed concentrate mixtures containing 1% formaldehyde (HCHO) treated groundnut cake (GNC) so as to replace 0 (T1), 40 (T2) and 60% (T3) moiety of untreated GNC for 95 days. Sorghum silage was offered ad libitum as roughage source. Daily DM intake was 3.86, 4.17 & 4.55 kg or 85.01, 90.27 & 94.48 g per kg W0.75 in groups T1, T2, and T3, respectively which did not differ significantly. The digestibility of nutrients also did not differ significantly amongst the groups. Average daily gain was 394.0, 460.0 and 494.8g in groups T1, T2 and T3, respectively and the the differences were nonsignificant. Serum urea (mg/dl) and creatinine kinase enzyme activity (IU/I) were lower (P<0.05) in group T3 (19.76 & 117.61) than in groups T1 (25.91 & 127.05) and T2 (24.28 & 124.71). However, serum glucose and protein levels remained similar among groups.