212
Green Berseem as Substitute for Economic Feeding of Dairy Cattle
Comparative cost of production of milk as influenced
by the breeds
Table XXVI shows that the cost of production
of milk is slightly higher with Murrah breed in all
the treatments but when the quantity of fat pro-
duced is taken into consideration, the cost per 100
lb. fat is less with Murrah showing that, as in the
production of growth, Murrah breed is more econo-
mical for the production of butter fat as well.
TABLE XXVI
Cost of production of fat by the different breeds
Treatment
Full concentrate . . . . . .
50 per cent concontrate replaced by berseem .
75 per cent concentrate replaced by berseem .
Full concentrate . . . . . .
50 per cent concentrate replaced by berseem .
75 per cent concentrate replaced by berseem .
Total milk
produced
lb.
Total fat
produced
lb.
Total cost
of feed
Rs.
Cost of
production
of 100 lb.
milk
Rs.
Cost of
production
of 100 lb.
fat
Rs.
Hissar
1217
1171
1171
58.3
56.7
58.2
32.53
24.38
20.93
2.67
2.08
1.78
55.8
43.0
36.0
Murrah
1517
1539
1481
111.8
107.9
104.0
44.38
33.69
28.82
2.93
2.20
1.95
39.7
31.2
27.7
SUMMARY
Feeding tests to find out the food value of ber-
seem as compared to concentrate mixtures on
growth and milk yield have been conducted during
the berseem seasons of 1939 and 1940. The
different rations compared were (i) protein supple-
ment in the form of concentrate mixture, (ii) half
the protein of concentrates replaced by the protein
of berseem and (iii) three-fourths of the required
protein supplied by berseem. These three treat-
ments were tested with two breeds, Hissar and
Murrah, to study the different effect, if any, due
to the feeds upon these breeds.
It was observed that the concentrate mixture
produces better growth than either 50 or 75 per
cent of its replacement with berseem, whereas the
difference between the latter two treatments is not
statistically significant.
Food value of berseem appears to be slightly
higher for the Hissar cattle than for the Murrah
buffaloes.
For growth the protein of berseem seems to be of
a lower value than that of a mixture of concentrates
and it appears that the biological value of berseem
is lower the younger the animal is.
Feeding of berseem for growth is more economi-
cal than concentrates when animals are above two
years of age.
The intake of dry matter per 100 lb. liveweight
is slightly more for Hissar and the results indicate
that the rearing of Murrah breed is comparatively
economical.
The data show that berseem is as efficient for
production of milk by both the breeds as the
concentrate mixture.
No difference in the composition of milk is notic-
ed when green berseem is fed even to the extent of
36 lb. per day to a Hissar cow and 52 lb. to a
Murrah buffalo.
Biological value of protein of berseem appears
to be the same as that of concentrates for milk
production.
Cost of production of milk decreased with the
increased replacement of concentrates by home
grown berseem.
Milk of Murrah is richer in nutrients and this
breed can produce the same quantity of fat at a
lower cost.
Digestibility of organic matter, crude protein
and total carbohydrates are nearly the same for
the three rations compared. Ether extract is
better digested when the amount of concentrate
mixture is more in the ration which appears to be
due to higher content of ether extract in the total
ration.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledgement is due to the Imperial Coun-
cil of Agricultural Research for financing the
Practical Cattle Feeding Research Scheme, U. P.,
which offered scope for this work. The author