Effect of Feeding Prosopis juliflora Pods on Dry Matter Intake, Digestibilities and Balances of Nutrients by Calves 

Abstract

An experiment was conducted on 6 (3 males and 3 females cross breed (F₁- Kankrej x Jersey) calves in a 3x3 latin Square design for eight weeks. Two Separate latin sequares one on female and the other on male calves were studied. The three treatments were control (T,), 10% Prosopis juliflora pods (T₂) and 20% Prosopis juliflora pods (T₃) in the concentrate mixtures. The DCP requirements were met by feeding - 2 kg of NB-21 green fodder and concentrate mixture as per Sen and ray (1971) feeding standards, At the end of each Period, metabolism trials were conducted by conventional method.                                                                                Average daily dry matter consumption was 3.09, 3.01 and 3.05 and 2.32, 2.76 and 2.70 kg for female calves per 100 kg body weight in T_1, T₂ and T₃ respectively. The digestibility of proximate nutrients were more or less similar in all the treatments. Nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium balances were positive in all the treatments for both sexes. Thus, the results of metabolism study indicated that the Prosopis juliflora pods upto 20% level in the ration of calves had no adverse effect on metabolism of nutrients.