BERSEEM HAY—AN ECONOMIC FEED FOR REDUCING THE CONCEN-
TRATE REQUIREMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE
By N. C. DAS GUPTA, Research Officer, Cattle Feeding Research Scheme, Jhansi, United Provinces
(Received for publication on 18 January 1943)
RAISING of legumes is indispensable to a farmer
for economic feeding of his cattle. Unless he
has at his disposal sufficient quantity of legumes he
will have to purchase high-priced concentrates for
proper maintenance and efficiency in production
of his herd. The utility of berseem (Egyptian
clover) as an economic substitute for concentrates
has been discussed in a previous paper by the
author [Das Gupta, 1943]. It has been recorded
that the concentrates required for production of
milk can be replaced economically by green
berseem to the extent of 75 per cent without any
adverse effect on the milk yield. Berseem is
available only during the winter season but it
may be possible to utilize berseem for feeding
cattle economically during other seasons as well
if it is preserved as hay.
Henderson [1916] stated that berseem makes
excellent hay though there is a loss due to
shattering of leaves. Relwani [1919] found that
careful handling and storing before it is completely
dry ensures very little loss. Work carried out in
this laboratory also shows that while curing and
storing berseem hay, the loss of nutrients due to
shattering of leaves is negligible if handled in the
morning. The total protein content of the green
berseem was reduced from 16.50 to 14.62 per cent
on a dry basis after conversion into hay.
Legume hays are characterized by their high
protein content and it is possible to curtail the
requirement of concentrates when sufficient legume
hay is available. Billings [1905] carried out
experiments to find out the comparative feeding
value of purchased feeds and legume hays. He
has observed that a ration consisting of purchased
feeds, corn silage and corn stalks produced slightly
more milk and butter than a ration almost entirely
of alfalfa hay and corn silage. Cowpea hay was
equal in feeding value to alfalfa hay while crimson
clover hay was less valuable. Fraser and Hayden
[1910] found that alfalfa hay produced more milk
than wheat bran, although bran produced more
fat. Caldwell [1913] has recorded that soya bean
hay and bran are equal in value for both milk
production and gain in liveweight. He has also
observed that a large share of protein supplement
can be supplied by soya bean hay instead of grains
with the same efficiency, while alfalfa hay can
produce better growth and milk than concen-
trates. Hayden [1918] while comparing clover
and alfalfa hay could not come to any definite
'conclusion about the superiority of one over the
other for milk production but observed a unit of
clover protein to be more efficient than a unit of
alfalfa protein. Hart and Humphrey [1919] are
of opinion that it is not possible to furnish dairy
cows of high milk production with a protein level
of sufficient magnitude or quality to maintain
that capacity from clover hay, corn silage and
cereal grain mixture. The same workers [1920]
have also noted that alfalfa hay can maintain
high milk production when substituted for clover
hay in the above ration.
It appears from above that suitable legume
hays may replace concentrate mixtures for the
production of growth and milk. Though berseem
is gaining popularity in India as a winter fodder
crop, very little is known about the production
value of berseem hay. Sayer [1934] has recorded
that stock can be maintained well on berseem hay.
The present work was taken up to find out if it is
possible to replace concentrates by berseem hay in
the ration of growing heifers and milch cows.
Long-period feeding trial was conducted for
growth test with Hissar (cattle) and Murrah
(buffalo) breeds and the milk test was carried out
with only Murrah buffaloes.
EXPERIMENTAL
Berseem for growth as compared to concentrates
Eighteen heifers, nine Hissars and nine Murrahs
were selected for this trial. For the basal feeding
period of three weeks the animals received, as
roughage, wheat straw ad lib and 11 lb. green
jowar per day. A mixture of linseed cake, barley
and wheat bran in the proportion of 50, 30 and 20
parts respectively was fed as concentrate. Each
animal received 50 gm. mineral mixture per day.
Animals were distributed into three homogeneous
groups according to their age and liveweight.
The average rate of growth during basal period
was also taken into consideration to eliminate the
differences due to individuality.
During the period of the experiment group I
was allowed to continue the basal concentrate
mixture for supplying the protein requirement.
For group II half the required protein was supplied
in the form of berseem hay and the other half as
concentrate mixture and three-fourths of the con-
centrate mixture was similarly replced by berseem
hay for group III. The protein requirement for
growth was given according to the standard pres-
cribed by Morrison [1936] and was being regulated
from time to time according to the increase in the
liveweight.
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