Vol. 10, Special Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Ramsawroop, VS Panwar, Sandeep Kumar and Anuj Singh

Abstract:
A detailed survey was carried out to record feeding plane and mineral status of lactating buffaloes in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana state during Rabi season. Twelve villages, representing all the blocks of the district were selected for the survey. Samples of feedstuffs, milk, hair and blood were collected from five families from each category of farmers i.e., belonging to landless category and farmers with land holding in a village. Thus, a total of 120 families were selected for the survey. A questionnaire was prepared and individual farmer was interrogated regarding the type of feedstuffs and their amount fed to their animals. The samples of straws (wheat, rice and bajra straw), fodders (barseem, oat and grasses) and concentrate ingredients (cotton seed cake, wheat etc.) offered to animals were collected from each village and analysed for minerals. Wheat grain was used by 76.7% of buffalo owners followed by bajra grain (44.2 %). As protein sources, cotton seed cake and cotton seed were being used by 75% and 47.5% of buffalo owners of landless and farmers with land holding categories, respectively. In cereals, bajra was a richer source of Ca than wheat. Wheat (0.41%) contained more amount of P than bajra. Most of the samples of wheat and bajra grain had sufficient amount of Cu. Concentration of Mn was poor in these sources. Protein sources, cotton seed and cotton seed cake were fairly rich in Zn, Cu and Fe but concentration of Mn was lower. Fe was rich in all the feedstuffs. Very few respondents were providing mineral mixture (17.5%) and common salt (13.3%) to their animals.