46
Famine Rations for Livestock
Since the digestibility values for molasses,
wheat bran and rape cake used for calculating the
digestible nutrients of munj are obtained from the
observations of Morrison [1937], it is reasonable to
consider these values as near approximations. It
is, however, obvious from the data, as was also
indicated by the chemical analysis, that munj is
not a maintenance roughage and adequate provi-
sion of protein and carbohydrate is necessary.
From this feeding trial, which covered almost all
the seasons of the year, it was observed that not
only did the animals maintain good health all along
but gained an average weight of about 40 lb.
(Fig. 1) in spite of being given a certain amount of
work.
(b) Observations on growing animals
When a ration is recommended for general use
it is not in practice fed only to adult stock but to
stock of all ages.
An experiment similar to that conducted upon
hill bulls was, therefore, carried out on calves to
study the effect of this poor roughage on growing
animals. Eight Hariana bull calves of four to six
months of age from the Institute dairy were divided
into four groups of two each. The first group was
fed on the basal ration consisting of munj, molasses,
wheat bran and rape cake ; the second on the basal
ration plus ½ lb. each of pipal and ber leaves ; the
third on the basal ration plus grass roots (as in the
famine area where tree leaves are not available,
grass roots are fed); and the fourth on a normal
dairy ration.
The calves were divided into these groups on the
basis of age and weight. The starting weight was
taken as the average of four days' body weight.
The basal ration consisted of:
Munj
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Molasses . . . . . .
Mustard cake
.
.
.
.
.
Wheat bran
.
.
.
.
.
Salt
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
7 lb.
3 „
2½ „
2 „
ad lib.
The normal ration as fed to dairy calves con-
sisted of :
Green fodder . . . . .
Dry roughage
.
.
.
.
.
*Concentrates
.
.
.
.
.
Salt
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Mineral mixture
.
.
.
.
.
*Wheat bran . . . . .
Gram husk
.
.
.
.
.
Groundnut cake
.
.
.
.
.
Rape cake
.
.
.
.
.
.
Gram chuni
.
.
.
.
.
20 lb.
8 „
4 „
1 oz.
1 „
Per cent
40
20
20
10
10
These calves were weighed daily before any feed
was offered to them. They were given about a
couple of hours' exercise, after which they were
allowed to remain in the paddock for as long a
period as weather permitted. The animals were
muzzled when they went out of the stalls.
Feeding trials started on 1 September 1940.
They were offered a reduced ration for nine days
and then fed on the experimental ration. For the
first ten days the animals did not apparently relish
the ration as is evident from (Fig. 2) indicating
loss in weight. They left 3 to 5 lb. residue. These
animals took a little longer than the adult cattle to
take to this diet, as was to be expected because
prior to being put on this ration they were fed a
rich and palatable ration which included succulent
roughage and grazing. Nevertheless, the control
group did not show any increase in weight for the
first few days, probably because of their new sur-
roundings and the absence of grazing.
Munj proved most palatable to the animals when
chopped, beaten to remove dust and moistened for
about 24 hours. On moistening 7 lb. of dry munj
would weigh about 11 lb. Molasses was mixed
with rape cake soaked overnight in water in winter
or about four hours in summer. This concentrate
was thoroughly mixed with the roughage, and
wheat bran was spread on the surface and lightly
mixed.
The feeding observations were carried out for 90
days from the 1 September to 29 November 1940.
The relative gain in weight by different groups of
calves is given in Table IX and the rate of growth
is indicated in Fig. 2.
It will be observed that by the end of 81 days
under trial, groups I, II and III gained in weight
respectively 50.9, 70.03 and 59.4 per cent of the
FIG. 2. Growth of calves on munj-molasses ration