Comparative nutritional values of dinanath grass and sweet sorghum fodder at the post-flowering stage for crossbred heifers
Dinanath grass & sorghum fodder at post-flowering
Keywords:
ADG, Digestibility, Dinanath grass, Intake, Sorghum,Abstract
The feeding value of dinanath grass with sorghum fodder at the post-flowering stage was compared. In the present study, sixteen crossbred heifers (274±11 d; 85.3±4.9 kg) were grouped in 8 pairs based on their age and live weight. One animal from each pair was randomly allotted to one of the two groups, T1 and T2. In T1, the animals were offered dinanath grass fodder, whereas in T2, sorghum fodder was offered ad libitum and the fodders were enriched with urea at 0.4 and 0.2% on a fresh weight basis, respectively. They were also given 1 kg of concentrate mixture (40% wheat grain; 40% groundnut cake; 20% husk), 30 g of common salt, and 30 g of chalk daily for 13 weeks. The bodyweight of the animals was calculated by the weekly multiplication of the length (cm) and heart girth (cm) of the animal divided by 11200. After 21 days of adaptation, a 7-day digestibility trial was conducted to compare the intake and digestibility of nutrients. The samples were chemically analyzed for proximate principles using standard techniques. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using the paired ‘t’ test. It can be concluded that dinanath grass and sorghum fodders are both equally inferior in nutritive value at the post-flowering stage and may not be continued for a long period as the sole feed without nutrient supplementation.
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