Applied Animal Nutrition-I

Model rations for cows and buffaloes with the available fodder and concentrates

 MODEL RATIONS FOR  COWS AND BUFFALOES  WITH AVAILABLE FODDER AND CONCENTRATES

• Two alternatives could be easily considered depending on the availability of green fodder.
• If green leguminous fodder like berseem, lucerne or soobabul is available, a combination of about 6 to 8 kg of leguminous green fodder and 4 to 5 kg of paddy straw can easily meet the maintenance requirement of animals.
• The other alternative is to feed 1 kg of balanced concentrate mixture.

 

Ration for maintenance of a cow

Option	Feed	Quantity (kg)
1	Green legume Cereal straw	6 – 8 4 -5
2	Concentrate mixture Cereal straw	1 5

Ration for growing crossbred dairy heifers weighing 200 kg

Option	Feed	Quantity (kg)
1	Green legume Cereal straw	8 -10 2 -4
2	Concentrate mixture Cereal straw	2.5 4 -5

 

Ration for cow weighing about 400 kg and producing 5 kg of milk

• Depending on the fodder availability, two options could be followed.

Option	Feed	Quantity (kg)
1	Green legume Green cereals Cereal straw	10 20 4
2	Concentrate mixture Cereal straw	3.5 7.0

Ration for cow weighing about 400 kg and producing 10 kg of milk

• During the kharif season, it is possible in most areas, to get green fodder with crops like maize, cowpea and subabul.
• Azolla can be fed as a source of protein.It contains approximately 25% crude protien on dry matter basis.

    

• For cows producing 10 kg of milk, the following rations could be followed.

option	Feed	Quantity (kg)
1	Green legume Green cereals Cereal straw Concentrate mixture	15 25 2 1
2	Concentrate mixture	7.5

Ration for cows weighing about 350 kg and producing 20 kg of milk with 4.5% fat

• Oat/Maize/Sorghum fodder – 22 kg
• Berseem or Lucerne – 5 kg
• Concentrate mixture – 4.5 kg

Ration for cows weighing about 400 kg and producing 25 kg of milk with 4.5% fat

• Oat/Maize/Sorghum fodder – 25 kg
• Berseem or Lucerne – 6 -8 kg
• Concentrate mixture – 9.0 kg

Thumb rule for feeding concentrates in cattle and buffaloes

• In case of cattle, for every 1 kg of milk production, 0.4 kg of concentrates should be given.
• In case of buffaloes, for every 1 kg of milk production, 0.5 kg of concentrates should be given.