212
ALKALI-TREATED CEREAL STRAWS
[ Vol. XXIV, Part IV,
animals started behaving quite normally. Immediately after the symptoms were
noticed one ounce of common salt and a small quantity of green fodder was included
in the ration. This dietetic treatment resulted in the complete disappearance of
symptoms within a few days and never recurred even when the original schedule of
feeding was extended for another 71 days. It may be mentioned here that, in this
centre, no provision was available for salt supplement for the young stock and during
the course of the feeding trial this item was lacking in the ration. Compared to the
control animals, however, those in the experimental group were more sleek, alert and
vigorous.
Puri. No untoward symptom, as noticed in calves at Sodepur, developed
amongst the animals in the experimental group. In the ration at this centre common
salt was supplemented throughout, and the animals also received a small quantity
of green. Here also the experimental animals were found to be of superior external
appearance and showed signs of early maturity as two out of six heifers came in
heat towards the end of the experimental period as against none in the control group.
Rampur. A few animals in the experimental group were affected with foot-and-
mouth disease between the sixth and tenth week of starting the feeding trial. Later,
all the animals in both the groups were infected naturally or artirfically with the virus.
The effect of foot-and-mouth disease seemed to have reacted equally on both the
groups of animals. Due to the non-availability of common salt this item was absent
in the ration.
Montgomery. No untoward symptoms were noticed among the animals except
for mild tympanitis which some animals in both the groups developed at an early
stage of grazing in berseem fields. From an examination of the external appearance
the calves in the two groups could not be distinguished.
Economics of alkali-treated straw feeding
Since the only variant in the feeding trials is alkali-treated show for untreated
straw, the economic appraisal will obviously hinge round the gain in the form of
accelerated growth against the cost of treatment. The cost of treatment may be
calculated on the following considerations:—
(1) A treatment centre is established in an area having a cattle population
of 100 cow unit (one cow unit=an animal of 500 lb. live-weight).
(2) The straw consumption reckoned at the rate of 10 lb. per cow unit.
(3) The price of straw considered at the rate of Rs. 2 per 80 lb.
(4) The loss in dry matter of straw due to alkali treatment taken is 30 per cent.
(5) Caustic soda required for the treatment calculated at 6 lb. for every 100
lb. straw.
(6) The price of caustic soda reckoned at the rate of 3 annas per pound.
(7) Sixteen hours of man-labour required for every 1000 lb. straw to be
alkali-treated.
(8) The price of man-labour considered at the rate of 2 annas per hour.
Based on the above consideration the total cost of the treatment at a centre
will be as follows :
(a) Straw 520,000 lb.—cost of Rs. 13,000
N.B. The above calculations are based upon the rates prevailing in the market in 1945.47 when
these experiments were undertaken.