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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]

A feeding trial for a period of 114 days was conducted using 36 weaned Large White Yorkshire x Desi piglets (18 castrated males and 18 females, belonging to Centre for Pig Production and Research, Mannuthy) forming three groups with six replicates each, to assess the effect of phytase supplementation on bone and carcass parameters. The animals were divided into three groups (as uniformly as possible with regard to age, sex and weight and animals of each group were allotted randomly to six pens with two piglets in each pen) and were fed with three experimental rations, T1- Control ration containing 0.6 per cent calcium and 0.3 per cent phosphorus, T2 - Control ration without any mineral supplements and with 750 units of phytase/kg feed and T3-Control ration without phytase and mineral supplementation. At the end of the feeding and digestibility trials representative animals from each treatment group were slaughtered and carcass parameters were recorded. Dressing percentage was lower (P<0.01) for pigs fed rations T2 and T3 while loin eye area was lower (P<0.05) for T3 group than that of T1 and T2 and there was no significant differences (P>0.05) between the treatments with respect to their back fat thickness. X-ray examination of femur and mandible and histological examination of kidney samples also did not show any abnormalities among pigs of T1 and T2 and T3 groups. However rickety beads were seen on ends of ribs on carcass evaluation, in pigs fed T3 ration. The bone ash content was also lower (P<0.01) for animals fed ration T3 than that of T1 and T2. Pigs fed ration containing no added minerals but supplemented with phytase was showing similar percentage of bone ash as that of pigs fed the control ration (T1). Feed cost /kg gain of pigs belonging to group T1 was higher than that of T2 and T3. It can be concluded that phytase supplementation of rations resulted in alleviationof the mineral deficiencies in animals fed without any mineral supplementation but with phytase alone without any gross abnormalities of kidney or bone in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted with fifteen crossbred calves below one week of age for a period of 20 weeks in two phases viz. phase I and phase II. The calves were divided into three groups I, II and III of five each and calves of group I were offered calf starter containing 24 per cent crude protein (CP) throughout the period of study, group II with 18 and 21 per cent CP and group III with 15 and 18 per cent CP during phase I and II, respectively. No difference (P >0.05) could be noticed in any of the parameters employed for evaluation among the three groups. It could be inferred that phase feeding can be practised in pre-ruminant crossbred calves from six to 20 weeks of age without any adverse effect on their growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]