Background:
Ruminants mainly thrive on crop residues, which are deficient in protein, minerals and vitamins so the straw-based ration provided to milch/meat animals should be balanced in all the nutrients required for optimizing the production, reproduction and health of ruminants besides better economic return from animal farms. Moreover, the management of crop residues is also linked with the burning of straws is a real “burning issue” in India. Annually >20million tons of straws biomass is burnt in the field due to various reasons, which is causing serious environmental pollution. Another side we are presently deficient (10.95%) in dry crop residues. Thus, using the MMLS along with crop residues will certainly improve the nutrients utilization from straw-based diets and the productive and reproductive performance of ruminants can be improved substantially under farmers’ conditions. Moreover, animals of Gausala can be reared economically using MMLS and crop residues-based diets at a cheaper cost. Technology Details:
As we are aware that ruminants are able to utilize efficiently urea (i.e. 30% of total CP requirement) provided readily fermentable carbohydrate (cane molasses) is available in the diet. Liquid supplements having urea, minerals and vitamins have shown improvement in nutrient utilization to enhance growth rate, milk and reproductive performance at cheaper feeding cost. The effect of molasses and sugar on fiber digestibility will depend on the composition of the ration and the level of cane molasses or sugar in the ration. When molasses is used at 12% or greater of diet dry matter, it will decrease dry matter and fiber digestibility. When used at 8-10% of diet dry matter, in dairy and beef diets, molasses-based liquid supplements or sugar did not depress fiber digestion compared to control diets. The effect of sugar or molasses on fiber digestion will depend on the effective fiber level in the ration, particle size and forage form (hay or silage). In dairy rations, which are formulated to meet or exceed the fiber requirements of dairy cows, cane molasses or sugar should not depress fiber digestion when used at less than 8% of the diet dry matter.