132
Comparative Value of some concentrates
TABLE XII
Relative economy of the concentrates
Concentrate
1940 (21 weeks)
Linseed cake . . .
Groundnut cake (undo-
corticated)
Gram .
.
.
.
Arhar chuni . . .
1941 (18 weeks)
Linseed cake . . .
Groundnut cake (decor-
ticated)
Rape cake . . .
Mung chuni . . .
1942 (16 weeks)
Linseed cake . . .
Til cake . . .
Guar .
.
.
.
Gain in
liveweight
Lb.
140
101
172
170
131
94
115
164
107
86
134
Quantity
of concen-
trates fed
Lb.
433.6
438.0
645.4
784.8
372.9
192.9
324.3
705.3
266.7
196.4
370.5
Prices per
100 lb.
during
experiment
Rs.
2.745
1.829
3.354
2.256
2.745
1.829
1.829
2.073
3.659
3.049
3.659
Cost of
total
ration for
100 lb. in-
crease in
liveweight
Rs.
17.34
19.34
20.35
17.78
14.67
13.21
12.87
14.01
25.4
27.3
22.9
Prices per
100 lb. on
the basis
of 1941
rate
Rs.
2.745
1.829
3.354
2.256
2.745
1.829
1.829
2.073
2.745
2.288
2.745
Comparative
cost of pro-
duction of
100 lb. live-
weight on the
basis of 1941
prices
Rs.
14.67
16.53
17.22
15.04
14.67
13.21
12.87
14.01
14.67
14.75
13.92
Equivalent
quantities
Lb.
100
135
120
137
100
77
99
138
100
93
104
with Hissar heifers. The tests were carried
out in three sets during 1940, 1941 and 1942.
Linseed cake was used as control in all the
sets. Varying quantities of the different con-
centrates were fed to maintain the same level
of protein in all the treatments.
In the first test, it was found that gram and
arhar chuni produced better growth than linseed
cake, while undecorticated groundnut cake
proved inferior. Among the concentrates tested
in the second year, mung chuni gave the highest
rate of growth, followed in order by linseed cake,
rape cake and decorticated groundnut cake.
The difference in the growth rates with linseed
cake and rape cake was not significant. In the
third set, the growth rates were in the decreasing
order of guar, linseed cake and til cake.
On comparing the data for all the concentrates,
it was found that under the conditions of these
experiments groundnut cakes both decorticated
and undecorticated resulted in the least favourable
rate of growth. Til cake and rape cake came next
in order of increasing value, followed by linseed
cake. Linseed cake was of about the same value
as guar and was inferior only to gram, arhar chuni
and mung chuni which gave the best results.
The digestibility of organic matter and total
carbohydrate was higher when pulse or pulse
chuni was present in the ration, while that of
protein was superior when the concentrates richer
in protein were fed. This variation appears t o
be due to the concentration of the nutrient in t he
total ration.
Protein of gram, arhar chuni, mung chuni and
guar appears to be of superior quality as compared
to that of the oilcakes for growing Hissar cattle.
Mung chuni and guar produced the best rates of
growth per unit of total digestible nutrients as
well. For the production of the same liveweight
rape cake has been found to be the cheapest.
Next in order come decorticated groundnut cake,
guar, mung chuni, linseed cake, til cake, arhar
chuni, undecorticated groundnut cake and gram.
But when the rate of growth is taken into account,
which determines the period of unproductiveness
the feeding of guar is definitely more economical
than the oilcakes and both arhar chuni and mung
chuni may also prove cheaper in the long run.
With normal feeds, the consumption of dry
matter for Hissar heifers weighing between 400
and 500 lb. is, on an average, 2.2 lb. per 100 lb.
liveweight.