N. C.
DAS
GUPTA
131
liveweight per unit of digestible protein. This
eater increase cannot be attributed only to the
uality of protein, as more carbohydrates also
had to be ingested as a result of maintaining the
same level of protein in these treatments. Balanc¬
ing of both protein and carbohydrates, which is
necessary for such experiments, is only possible
by supplementing purified diets, but this is not
practicable specially with dairy cattle, in long
period feeding trials. In the experiment during
1940, the actual amount of protein digested was
lower than the calculated quantity given to the
animals of gram and arhar chuni groups, and
hence, the level of protein supplement was lower
for these two treatments. But the increase in
liveweight per unit of total digestible nutrients
was the same even with this lower protein supple-
ment. Mung chuni and guar in 1941 and 1942
respectively have produced decidedly better rate
of growth per unit of both digestible protein and
total digestible nutrients. Thus it appears that
for growing animals protein from gram, arhar
chuni, mung chuni or guar is superior to that from
the oilcakes.
TABLE XI
Gain in liveweight in relation to the intake of digestible nutrients (lb.)
Treatments
1940
Linseed cake
.
.
.
.
.
.
Groundnut cake (undecorticated) . .
Gram
.
.
.
.
.
.
Arhar chuni
.
.
.
.
.
1941
Linseed cake
.
.
.
.
.
Groundnut cake (decorticated) . .
Rape cake
.
.
.
.
.
Mung chuni
.
.
.
.
.
1942
Linseed cake
.
.
.
.
.
Til cake . . . . . .
Guar
.
.
.
.
.
.
Liveweight
increase
140
101
172
170
131
94
115
164
107
86
134
D. P.
intake
121.9
124.4
119.1
106.6
108.6
97.3
110.0
115.4
98.6
94.1
107.6
T. D. N.
intake
911.8
868.3
1132.8
1132.8
770.9
663.6
741.5
886.5
616.2
559.7
707.7
Increase
per lb.
of D. P.
1.15
0.82
1.44
1.60
1.21
0.98
1.05
1.42
1.09
0.91
1.25
Increase
per lb.
of T. D. N.
0.15
0.12
0.15
0.15
0.17
0.14
0.16
0.19
0.17
0.15
0.19
Average
liveweight
530
513
546
560
470
452
460
486
427
415
444
RELATIVE ECONOMY OF THE CONCENTRATES
The cost for production of 100 lb. liveweight
with all the concentrates is shown in Table XII.
The tests were carried out for three consecutive
years and the prices of feeds varied from year to
year. Hence, to compare the cost of production
with the different concentrates, the prices of all
the roughages and bran have been taken as the
same as in 1941 and those of the concentrates have
been modified and brought to the 1941 level
on the basis of variation of the price of linseed cake
from year to year. The comparative cost of the
total ration for the production of 100 lb. live-
weight (Table XII) show that for production of
the same liveweight rape cake is the cheapest
amongst all the concentrates, next in order come
groundnut cake (decorticated), guar, mung chuni,
linseed cake, til cake, arhar chuni, groundnut
cake (undecorticated) and gram.
The comparative economic value of a feed
cannot be assessed only by the market prices
which always vary. Therefore the quantities of
different concentrates which produce the same
increase in liveweight have been shown in the last
column (Table XII). But for true economy the
time factor should also be taken into account as
with better rate of growth, the period of unproduc-
tiveness is shortened. It appears that when the
rate of growth is taken into account guar is defi-
nitely more economical than the oilcakes, and
both arhar chuni and mung chuni may also prove
cheaper in the long run.
SUMMARY
Trials were conducted to study the comparative
feeding values of linseed cake, decorticated and
undecorticated groundnut cakes, rape cake, til
cake, guar, gram, arhar chuni and mung chuni
E