142
Bagomolasses as Cattle Feed
closely approximating in age, live weight, and
general condition. Furthermore, to avoid any
disparity in the work performed, one animal
from each group was combined to form a pair for
the yoke. The animals performed medium type
of work, i.e. about six hours a day. The work
mostly consisted of ploughing and occasionally
carting. Feeding experiments were started on
2 April 1942. Towards the beginning of
May, there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth
disease amongst the cattle at Izatnagar. The
animals under this investigation were also affected
and it was necessary to discontinue them from
work. The scheduled rationing was, however,
maintained, although in considerably restricted
amounts. Towards the end of June, all the ex-
perimental animals recovered from foot-and-
mouth disease and the routine drawn up under
the different investigations was restored immediate-
ly. By the middle of September, a series of 10-
day metabolism experiments was completed for
the different groups of animals. The experi-
ments continued up to 22 November 1942, when
the investigation was stopped. During these
experiments observations were recorded on the
following points:
(1) Food consumption.
(2) Change in body weight.
(3) Working capacity and general health.
In the metabolism experiments observations
were made on the nitrogen balance of both con-
trol and experimental groups of animals in each
of the three lines of investigations planned. The
nitrogen-balance studies were considered necessary
to supply a more exact information regarding
the usefulness of bagomolasses either as an added
item or a substitute in the rations for working
animals. During the course of metabolism ex-
periments, some of the ainmals had to be dropped
out as they became indifferent to their food on
account of a peculiar sensitiveness to the meta-
bolism harnesses. In the metabolism studies,
therefore, actually 18 animals were used six
for each investigation.
The introduction of
bagomolasses into the diet of all the experimental
groups of animals was made gradually and within
a short time the animals could be easily induced
to consume 4.5 lb. of it.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
I. The effect of the addition of bagomolasses to
the inadequate village ration
The rations for the control and experimental
groups are shown below:—
Crushed gram . . .
Rape cake .
.
.
.
Bagomolasses . . .
Wheat bhusa . . .
Common salt . . .
Control
group
2.5 lb.
1.25 lb.
Nil
Ad lib.
2 oz.
Experiment
group
2.5 lb.
1.25 lb.
4.5 lb.
Ad lib.
2 oz.
The control ration in this experiment has been
considered as a typical ration usually fed to the
working bullocks in the villages of the United
Provinces. A calculation of its nutritive value
shows that it contains 0.5 lb. digestible protein
and 4.5 lb. starch equivalent which may be con¬
sidered sufficient for the maintenance of the
animals of 750 lb.—800 lb. body-weight selected
for the experiment. In fact the adequacy of
the control ration for maintenance purpose
was verified from a nitrogen-balance experiment
which had indicated that all the experimental
animals maintained a positive nitrogen balance
Theoretically, however, the ration was inadequate
for animals required to perform medium type of
work. In the experimental ration, 4.5 lb. of
bagomolasses (equivalent to 3.0 lb. of molasses
has been added over and above the quantity
supplied in the basic control ration. The i n
troduction of bagomolasses has contributed and
extra quota of energy of about 2 lb. This, toge¬
ther with the energy from the rest of the ration
supplied energy slightly more than what is theo-
retically required by animals doing medium type
of work.
Food consumption. The total dry matter con-
sumed by animals in the two feeding groups i s
shown in Table I.
TABLE I
Total dry matter consumption per animal per day
in gm.
1 . . . .
2 . . . .
3 . . . .
Average
From inade-
quate village
ration
6,325
6,270
6,305
6,300
From inade-
quate village
ration +
bagomolasses
7,886
6,525
7,186
7,199