Vol. 9, Issue 2 (2020)

Author(s):
Sachin D Nimar, Madhur, SK Chhikara and Dr. Sajjan Sihag

Abstract:
Present study was conducted on sixteen Murrah buffalo calves of either sex with an average age of 3±1 months. These calves were divided into four groups (T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄) having four calves in each group based on their average weight and age. An on-farm trial of 10 days preliminary feeding with housing and 90 days experimental period was conducted between January 2017 to April 2017, on Buffalo Farm, COAS, LUVAS, Hisar. The experiment groups were randomly allocated to the following treatments:T₁: Conventional housing + feeding as per ICAR standards (2013): T₂: Conventional housing + feeding as per ICAR standards (2013) + probiotic supplementation; T₃: Loose housing + feeding as per ICAR standards (2013); T₄: Loose housing + feeding as per ICAR standards (2013) + probiotic supplementation. Average weight gain fortnightly and per day weight gain was similar in all groups. Probiotic groups showed relatively more gain in initial 2 fortnights but in later fortnight the weight gain was more in control groups (T₁ and T₃). So, no significant difference was observed in net weight gain during experiment. Wheat straw intake was significantly more (p<0.05) in conventional housing groups (T₁ and T₂) as compare to loose housing groups. Similarly, intake of green fodder was significantly more during initial half of the study. In the next half the intake was almost similar in all groups. The probiotic feeding in pre-weaned calves does not affect net weight gain in calves. The feed intake (i.e. Dry matter intake and Crude Protein intake) increases in Probiotic group housed in conventional system (T₂).