Effect of Nutritional Status and Management Systems on Nutrients Intake in Sahiwal Calves

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted on twenty four female Sahiwal calves between 4 to 8 months of age during April to October, 2017 to study the effect of two levels of feeding and management systems on their performance. Mean daily dry matter intake were 4.31±0.142, 5.18±0.174, 4.63±0176 and 4.86±0.185 kg and dry matter intake per 100 kg body weight were 2.95±0.017, 3.32±0.025, 3.09±0.041 and 3.18±0.044 kg in 100 per cent, 120 per cent ICAR feeding, routine and improved management systems, respectively. The mean daily crude protein intake was 0.615±0.020, 0.786±0.030, 0.677±0.030 and 0.724±0.032 kg in 100 per cent, 120 per cent ICAR feeding, routine and improved management systems, respectively.  The average daily total digestible nutrients intake and total digestible nutrients intake per 100 kg body weight were 2.66±0.075, 3.39±0.115, 2.96±0.125, 3.10±0.120 and 1.81±0.023, 2.17±0.022, 1.95±0.042, 2.03±0.045 kg in 100 per cent, 120 per cent ICAR feeding, routine and improved management systems, respectively.  The dry matter intake per 100 kg body weight, crude protein intake per 100 kg body weight, total digestible nutrients intake per 100 kg body weight and dry matter intake per kg metabolic body size, crude protein intake per kg metabolic body size and total digestible nutrients intake per kg metabolic body size were significantly high (P‹0.01) in calves fed 120 per cent of  ICAR feeding and kept under improved management systems in comparison to calves fed 100 per cent of ICAR feeding and reared in routine management systems.