Cattle rearing or animal husbandry contributes 25.6% to agricultural GDP, and this percentage is vast for any economy. Thus, animal husbandry is one of the profitable sectors, and people are attracted to it. Another reason for rising animal husbandry is the increasing adulteration of food items, and people tend to adulterate essential items like milk, butter, pulses, etc. In such a scenario, people are ready to give an extra amount to someone who promises purity and authenticity.
Some milk-giving animals, like buffalo and cows, are extensively used for commercial benefits and require extra care. Give them extra attention and care if you have cattle because cattle fodder is also being degraded these days. So, how and what should be given to cattle?
You must have noticed hay is given to cattle as fodder. However, it is not the reality, and cattle fodder is hugely different from hay. Lactation is important for which something nutritious should be fed to the cattle. Animals like buffalo are different from cows. Thus, you should understand what you should feed and how much you should feed the animal.
Roughage, including grass, legumes, and straw, makes up most of the buffalo’s diet. Roughage can be fed in various ways, including as fresh pasture, in a cut-and-carry system, or stored as hay or silage. Frequently, cereals concentrate and agro-industrial byproducts like oil-seed cakes, sugar cane tops, etc., are added to the roughage to supplement it.
Important minerals and vitamins
In particular, the minerals calcium and phosphorus are crucial for the formation of milk, and the mineral phosphorus is a component of ATP, the body’s energy metabolism. It is crucial to consider the ratio in which calcium and phosphorus are provided to the animal. Since there is an antagonistic interaction between the two minerals about absorption from the small intestine, the Ca ratio should always be 2:1.
The more significant micro-minerals are chloride, sodium, and potassium in salt. Water and feed both contain varying levels of minerals. Water is essential for cattle to maintain body temperature and blood plasma levels. You can provide them with water in three ways: drinking water, feed water, and metabolic water, which is made from feed degradation.
What should be the maintenance ratio in fodder?
The straw should be 4-6 kg for buffaloes, and the concentrate mix (14-16% DCP 68-72% TDN) should be 2 kg. During the last trimester of pregnancy, 1.25 kg for Zebu and 1.75 kg for buffaloes.
Some of the nutritious food items you give to your cattle
- Binola Khal
Binola khal, also known as cotton seed cake, is a protein and phosphorus-rich source. About 22% of cottonseed meal is made from undecorticated cotton seed, and 42% of meal made from decorticated seed contains protein. 41% CP and 78% TDN are present in the decorticated cottonseed meal. The crude fiber content varies depending on the morphology, from glandless (2.2–2.7%) through decorticated (7.9–16.0%) to undecorticated (26.9%). The amount of ether extract varies between 4.2 and 11.3% in expeller-pressed meals and 0.9 and 2.9% in solvent-extracted meals.
- kachi khal sarso
Another great organic feed for your cattle is sarso ki kachi khal or mustard cake. The blend of high minerals and fibres in this cake is great for lactation in cattle. The feed has been supplemented with critical minerals, such as magnesium, which promotes heart function; protein, which helps build muscle; and zinc, which is crucial for the immune system. 12 g of protein and a substantial amount of zinc (21,000 grams) are two primary components that make this mustard cake bendable.
- Silage
Silage is essentially “pickled” pasture grass. When natural pasture isn’t good, such as during the dry season, this technique keeps the pasture for cows and buffaloes to consume later. The grasses are sliced and then fermented to preserve as many nutrients (such as sugars and proteins) as possible. Microscopic organisms that live in the grass perform fermentation. Silage might look like hay, but it has extraordinary nutritional values like crude protein, cellulose, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, etc.
From where should you purchase cattle feed?
Except for silage, other feeds are difficult or almost impossible to prepare by yourself. Thus, you have to purchase them from the market. The internet is packed with applications that provide the best quality cattle feed at an affordable price. Apps like Merapashu360 are one of the most acceptable sources for ordering fresh and nutritious feed for cattle. Moreover, you can buy cattle at your door step, and all you need to do is to make a purchase.
The Final Thought
Cattle feed needs to be as nitrous as our food, and you must choose nutrients diligently. So, if you also want your cattle to live a healthy life and produce more milk, give them the correct feed in quantity and manner. Do not compromise on their food because the more you focus on their nutrient intake, the more quality milk they will give.
