Viability of strategic supplementation to wheat straw based diet of lactating does under subsistence farming system Sharma K.*, Dutta Narayan, Pattanaik A.K. Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar - 243 122, India *Corresponding author: Dr. K. Sharma, Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243 122, India, Fax:+ 91-581-447284, E-mail: pn@ivri.up.nic.in
Abstract Feasibility of strategic supplementation to the basal diet of wheat straw in lactating does (17) was ascertained in an on-farm trial. A group of does (7) received a moderate amount (19.8±3.51 g/kg W0.75) of wheat bran as a supplement (WBS) as per farmers’ practice while another group of does (10) was given a balanced concentrate mixture (BCM) at a level of 22.4±1.82 g/kg W0.75 to supply at least 50% higher amount of crude protein/digestible crude protein as compared to WBS. The animals were given wheat straw ad libitum as the sole basal roughage along with restricted grazing for 2–3 hours irrespective of dietary supplement. Farmers kept the kids with their dams to allow free suckling of milk during the experiment conducted over a period of 75 days. Though milk production during first 45 days of lactation was significantly higher (893 ml/day) in does given BCM as compared to their counterparts given WBS (575 ml/day), dietary supplements did not exert any discernible impact on milk composition. Consequently, the kids (17) suckling does under BCM group attained significantly higher growth rate (g/d) and body weight at the close of experimental feeding as compared to kids (10) of does given WBS. The partial budget analysis of additional feed cost and additional return in the form of live weight gain in kids nursed by does receiving BCM supplement indicate a lucrative marginal rate of return of over 350 per cent. The farmers appreciated the positive beneficial effect of supplementation on general health of does and growth rate of kids but requirement of assured cash out lays for quality feeds was perceived as the possible constraint in adoption of feeding BCM to does. Top Key words Economics, Goats, Growth, Milk production, Supplementation. Top |