KNOW THE CONCEPT OF RATION COMPUTATION FOR CATTLE
Ration
The feed offered to given an animal during a day or 24 hours
Balance ration
The ration which provides the animal with proper amount and proportion of all the required nutrients for 24 hours.
Concentrates
Feed stuffs which are high in energy and low in crude fibre. (less than 18%)
Roughages
Feed stuffs which are low in energy and high in crude fible. (more than 18%).
Bran
It is the outer coarse coat of the grain separated during processing, ex-rise bran wheat bran.
Formula feed
A feed consisting of two or more ingredients mixed in specified proportions or ratios is know as formula food.
Pellets
Ground feed compacted by steaningand forcing the material through die opering is known as pellets.
Trace minerals
Minerals required by the animal in micro amounts.
Ex. Chromium, Cobalt ,Copper, Zinc, Sulpher.
Composition of feed
Feed is the source of energy and tissue building constituents carbohydrates, proteins and fats yield energy, water, protein and mineral matter from body tissue.
Wilhelm Henneburg and
Friedrich stohman
The different types of nutrients present in the feed are :
- Water
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Fat
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- Crude Protein
It contains true protein and non protein Nitrogen it is estimated indirectly by determining the nitrogen contents of the feed and multiplying it with 6.25.
Carbohydrate Source :– Cereals
Cereal’s by products
Straw
Protein Sources : Oil cakes, animal by products (blood, meal, feather meal)
Sources of Fat–Groundnut, cotton seed area
Macro – Minerals
Ca, N, Mg, Na, K, Cl, S.
Micro Minerals
Cr, Co, Cu, F, I, Mn, Zn, MO, Ses
Mineral Source :-
Green Fodder
Cereal by Product
Oil Cake
Vitamin
¯¯
Water Soluble FAT Soluble
B – Complex A, D, E.K.
Vit – C
Vitamin Source : Green Fodder level oil cake.
Common Cattle Feed
In villages different varieties of feed stuffs are used by the farmers for fed their animals. They are :
(1) Straw
(Paddy straw, wheat straw gram straw)
(2) Grass
(Local grass, cultivated grass)
(3) Brans
(Rice bran, wheat bran)
(4) Gruel (**)
(5) Kitchen refusal
(6) Other feeds
(maize powder, ground nut cake, children food for external aid, feeds from milk union or society.
Balance ration, composition
A balance ration is one that furnished nutrients in such proportions and amounts that it will property nourish a given animal in 24 hours. The required nutrients must be contained in the amount of any matter the animal is able to consume in 24 hour period.
Desirable characteristic of a ration
(1) The ration should have highly digestive feed ingredients.
(2) The feed must be Palatable.
(3) Varieties of feed in the ration makes it more Palatable.
(4) The ration should be fairly laxative. Green fodder should be included in the ration.
(5) The ration should be fairly bulky to satisfy the hunger.
(6) Avoid sudden change in the diet. All changes of food must be gradual and slow.
(7) Maintain regularity in feeding.
(8) The cost of the feed and labour charge should be minimized to make rearing of livestock profitable.
Computation of ration
It includes noting down the required (Dry matter, DCP, T.D.N., Mineral Vitamin A) of the animal and formulation of a ration using the available feed stuffs, D.C.P. and T.D.N. are calculated basis on the Physiological needs or the purpose for which the animal is to be fed.
Dry Matter
Indigenous cattle generally eat daily 2kg. dry matters for every 100kg. body weight. Buffaloes and CB animal are slightly heavy eaters. Their dry matter consumption is 2.5kg. daily per 100kg. body weight. In ruminants bulk is essential and the dry matter allowance is divided as follows :
2/3 Dry Roughages
2/3 as roughages
1/3 green roughages
Total Dry Matter
1/3 as Concentrate
Examples of Balance Rations (As per Whilhelm Hinseburg & Friedrich Stohman as well as Rajani-1998—for Pregnancy Ration)
Ration for a dry cow weighing 400kg.
Ration -1 – Green grass (Hybrid Napier or Para grass) 25kg.
Ration -2 – Green grass 10kg.
+ Leguminous green fodder 6kg.
+ Straw (Paddy) – 3kg.
Ration -3
Green Grass – 10kg.
Paddy straw – 3.5kg.
Ground nut cakes – 350kg.
Ration for 350kg. body weight cow yielding 4kg. milk per day.
Rice Straw – 5kg.
Green grass – 6kg.
Wheat bran – 1kg.
Deoiled rice bran – 600gm.
Ground nut cake – 500gm.
Maintenance Ration
Feed Stuff For Zeru Cattle For CBI Cow / Buffalo
Straw 4kg. 4-6kg.
Concentrate mixture 1kg. – 1.25kg. 2 kg.
Example of a concentrate mixture (1) Ground nut cake = 12%
(2) Maize – 21% (3) Wheat bran = 30% (4) De oiled rice bran = 25%
(5) Molasses = 9% (6) Mineral Mixture = 2% (7) Salt = 1%
Extra allowance for milk production
Additional amount of 1kg. concentrate mixture is required for every 2.5kg. of milk over and above the maintenance ration in zebu cattle and 2kg. of milk case of CB cow/ buffalo.
Feeding of pregnant cow
Pregnant animal are given extra nutrients during the last 2 to 3 month of gestation. This is required for the development of the feet us and also increase in weight of the pregnant animal.
Extra allowance for milk production
Additional amount of 1kg. concentrate mixture is required for every 2.5kg. of milk over and above the maintenance ration in zebu cattle and 2kg. of milk case of CB cow/ buffalo.
Feeding of pregnant cow
Pregnant animal are given extra nutrients during the last 2 to 3 month of gestation. This is required for the development of the feet us and also increase in weight of the pregnant animal.
Daily nutrition requirement for maintainace and Pregnancy (Ranjani 1998)
| Body weight in kg. | DEP gm. | TDN kg. | Calcium (g) | Phosphorus (g) | Vit –A (100 LU) | |
| 300 | 5.6 | 290 | 3.4kg. | 16 | 14 | 25 |
| 350 | 6.4 | 320 | 3.7 | 21 | 16 | 27 |
| 400 | 7.2 | 350 | 4 | 23 | 18 | 30 |
As per the thumb rule during the last 3 month of pregnancy an additional quantity of 1.25kg. of concentrate for zebu cow and 1.75kg. for CB cow/ buffalo is recommended inn addition to the maintainace ration.
Feed requirement of breeding bull
The breeding bull must be fed good quality fodders (green and grey) together with concentrates to keep them in thirty condition (strong and healthy). Over feeding should be avoided as it leads to excessive fattening which lowers the libido.
| Body weight in kg. | DEP gm. | TDN kg. | Calcium (g) | Vit –A (100 LU) | |
| 300 | 5.8 | 330 | 3.1kg. | 420 | 4kg. |
| 400 | 7.6 | 450gm. | 4.9kg. | 9.8 | 27 |
| 400 | 7.2 | 350 | 4 | 23 | 30 |
Average Feed mixture for an adult Bovine around 350 Kg
Feed misture—
Ration for 350-400 kg. body weight cow yielding 4kg. milk per day–
Rice/ Paddy Straw – 5kg.
Green grass – 6kg.
De -oiled rice bran – 1.600gm.
Ground nut cake – 500gm.
Example of a concentrate mixture— @ 1Kg/100Kg BW
(1) Ground nut cake = 12%
(2) Maize – 21%
(3) Wheat bran = 30%
(4) De oiled rice bran = 25%
(5) Molasses = 9%
(6) Mineral Mixture = 2%
(7) Salt = 1%
—–Clean Fresh Hygienic water-ad lib.( adequate)
FORMULATION OF CATTLE & BUFFALO RATION
Formulation-Ration-Cattle–Buffalo
