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An experiment was conducted in 12 crossbred calves for 112 days to assess the effect of dietary supplementation of organic selenium for growth. Calves of one week of age were divided into two groups of six each as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and body weight and allotted randomly to one of the two dietary treatments T, and T2. Calves of T, and T2 were offered standard calf starter as per B!S specifications and supplemented with organic selenium at 0 and 0.3 ppm respectively. Fresh green grass (Hybrid Napier) was supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. No significant difference could be observed in growth rate dry matter intake and feed efficiency of the calves between the groups. Average daily gain and total weight gain , respectively were 297.02 g and 33.27 kg for Tl and 311.90 g and 34.93 kg for TZ. Total dry matter intake was 103.81 and 105.89 kg and the feed conversion efficiencies were 3.33 and 3.15 respectively for T, and T2 . The percentage digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract and nitrogen free extract also did not differ significantly between groups. From a critical evaluation of the results obtained in the present study, it was inferred that dietary supplementation of 0.3ppm organic selenium did not improve the growth performance and nutrient utilization in cross bred calves. The feed cost per kilogram body weight gain for the calves in T, and T2 was Rs.163.32 and 155.11 respectively. There was a saving of Rs.8.21 for T2 over T,. The disease occurrence was low in selenium supplemented group when compared to the control group.

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of complete feeds on growth performance in Malabari kids for a period of three months. Twenty healthy Malabari kids of three to four months of age were selected and divided into four groups of five each, as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and body weight and were allotted randomly to experimental rations. All the experimental animals were fed with experimental rations containing different levels of crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN). The Tl group was fed with complete feed containing 16 per cent CP and 60 per cent TDN, T2 with 16 per cent CP and 70 per cent TDN, T3 with 14 per cent CP and 60 per cent TDN and T4 with 14 per cent CP and 70 per cent TDN. Data on haematobiochemical parameters like haemoglobin, total protein, calcium, phosphorus, and glucose were taken at the beginning and end of the experiment and it was concluded that different levels of CP and TDN did not affect and haemato-biochemical values except phosphorus and total protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary incorporation of cooked barley waste and spent grapes as energy source in Large White Yorkshire (LWY) sows. Fifteen LWY pregnant sows which were three weeks prior to their expected date of farrowing, were selected for this study and they were divided into three groups of five each and randomly allotted to three dietary treatments. T1 (18 per cent CP and 3265 Kcal/kg ME), T2 (25 per cent maize in control ration replaced with cooked barley waste), T3 (25 per cent maize in control ration replaced with spent grapes). Data on litter size at birth, litter weight at birth, litter size at weaning and litter weight at weaning were recorded from animals belonging to the three dietary treatment groups. From the results, it could be observed that there was no significant difference among T1, T2 and T3 in litter size (11.20, 10.60 and 9.60, respectively), average litter weight at birth (1.35, 1.45 and 1.46 kg, respectively), average litter size at weaning (7.00, 9.00 and 8.80, respectively), average litter weight at weaning (8.87, 8.25 and 8.88 kg, respectively) and average daily gain (179.13, 161.92 and 176.66, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of sequential feeding on egg production performance of Athulya (White Leghorn) layer chicken. At the end of 16th week of age, 75 birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with three treatments each having five replicates of five birds each. T1 group (Control) was fed with complete layer diet, T2 group (sequential feeding) was fed with coarsely ground maize in the morning and balancer diet in the afternoon and the T3 group (loose mix) was given coarse maize combined with balancer diet. In all the treatments, feed was given in two distributions at 6.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. From the results, it could be observed that egg production in sequential feeding was similar to that of control but significantly (p<0.05) lower to that of loose mix. Lower egg production rate in sequential feeding could be due to a signifi cant reduction in total feed intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial for a period of four months was conducted using eighteen weaned White Giant broiler rabbits, belonging to University Rabbit Farm, Mannuthy with three groups of six replicates each, to assess the effect of supplementation of Mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on growth performance and feed efficiency. The animals were divided into three groups of six animals as uniformly as possible with regard to sex, age and weight and were randomly alloted to three dietary treatments. The animals were fed with three experimental rations, Tl- control ration (16 per ccnt CP and 2500 kcal/kg DE), T2- control ration + 1.5 g MOS/kg diet and T3- control ration + 3 g MOS/kg diet. Individual body weight at fortnightly interval and daily dry matter intake were recorded and average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency were calculated. The results of the study indicated that the addition of MOS at both levels resulted in similar performance as that of the control group without any additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of six months duration was conducted to assess the body weight and reproductive parameters of lactating dairy cows fed on paddy straw based complete rations containing different levels of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), in two phases. Three isonitrogenous and isocaloric complete rations, T1, T2 and T3 with 25, 30 and 35 per cent NDF, respectively were formulated as per ICAR (1998) with paddy straw as the sole source of roughage NDF. Eighteen dairy cows yielding approximately 10 kg of milk per day were divided into three groups of six each, and allotted to the three experimental rations. Their performance were recorded in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken to assess the effect of feeding hydroponic fodder maize on growth performance of Malabari kids. Twelve healthy weaned kids selected from University Goat and Sheep farm, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, formed the experimental subjects for the study. Kids were divided into two groups (T1 and T2 ) as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and body weight. The control group (T1) was fed with a standard kid starter (24 % CP and 70 % TON) and the treatment group T2 was fed with kid starter in which 30 per cent CP was replaced with maize hydroponic fodder and all the kids were fed with hybrid napicr (ad libitum) as roughage. Feeding trial was conducted for a period of 45 days. Result of the experiment showed that hydroponic fodder maize fed group had a similar dry matter intake (DMI) and body weight gain as that of control group. These finding suggest that 30 per cent crude protein of kid starter can be replaced with the hydroponic maize fodder without affecting growth and drymatter intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India ranks first in milk production in the world. Government of India plans to increase the milk production at the rate of 23% per year. The various cost effective and practically feasible strategies which can be implemented for increasing milk production in India especially Kerala, are reviewed in this paper with emphasis on technologies such as unconventional and complete feed. The problems and solutions in Iced and fodder sector in India are reviewed separately. Several general recommendations, which can be practically implemented in the field for the betterment of the sector in India especially Kerala, arc also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]