Performance of Dairy Cows Fed Diet Supplemented with Cattle Biscuit

Abstract

The study was carried out in Wahed Dairy Farm, Chattogram, Bangladesh for a period of 60 days to measure the performance of dairy cows fed diet supplemented with cattle biscuit (CB). Forty Local × Holstein Friesian crossbred milking cows were selected according to age, live weight, body condition score (BCS), and daily milk yield. Animals were randomly distributed into five dietary treatment groups designated as T0 (Diet without CB), T1 (Diet containing 0% urea supplemented CB), T2 (Diet containing 25% urea supplemented CB), T3 (Diet containing 35% urea supplemented CB), and T4 (Diet containing 45% urea supplemented CB). Each treatment was divided into four replicates having two animals per replicate. All animals were stall fed. Results indicated that daily milk yield of the cows in the treatment groups supplemented with CB significantly (p<0.05) increased from 5th to 8th weeks. The highest average milk yield (8.3 kg/d) was recorded in T2 group, and the lowest milk yield (6.3 kg/d) was recorded in T0 group. Fat percent of milk significantly (p<0.05) increased during 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 8th weeks in the treatment groups compared to the control group. Similar to fat, protein percent of milk also increased significantly in the 1st (p<0.001); 2nd, 5th, 8th (p<0.05), and 7th (p<0.01) weeks. The SNF percent differed significantly in the 1st, 2nd, 5th (p<0.01); 3rd and 7th (p<0.001) weeks. The TS percent differed significantly in the 1st, 7th (p<0.01); 3rd (p<0.001), and 5th (p<0.05) weeks in an irregular fashion. On average (1-8 weeks), milk fat, milk protein, SNF, and TS percent were higher in the T2 and lower in T0 groups, respectively. Cholesterol, SGOT, SGPT, bilirubin, urea, creatinine, and serum protein remained unchanged (p>0.05) throughout the experimental period, except serum glucose, which differed (p<0.001) in the 8th week. It was concluded that supplementation of CB containing 25% urea substantially improved milk yield, milk fat, protein, SNF, and TS without interfering with hemato-biochemical parameters of the cows. Therefore, CB in addition to the basal diet may be suggested as a novel approach for feeding dairy cows.