1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)
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Item Evaluation of the utility of bypass nutrients in maintaining the growth rate of crossbred heifers under varying levels of thermal stress(College of Climate Change and Environmental Science, Vellanikkara, 2024-08-24) Gyathri, B S; Pramod, SA Study was conducted to evaluate the utility of bypass nutrients in maintaining the growth rate of crossbred heifers under varying levels of thermal stress. The study was conducted for 120 days, with equal periods of mild and moderate thermal stress. Eighteen female (5-12 months) cattle were used in the present study. The animals were randomly allocated into three groups of six animals each, viz. Treatment 1, Treatment 2, and the control group. Feed for Treatment Group 1 contained 50 % of dietary protein as natural bypass protein, while the control feed had 35 % of total protein as natural bypass protein. Animals in treatment group 2 were supplemented with 50 g of bypass fat per day along with control feed. The feed composition was prepared by using the formulation in ICAR, 2013. Feeding of cattle was done at 7.00 am and 2.00 pm daily. Also, a fixed amount of roughage was provided two times a day. The weather variables were recorded using an automatic temperature logger and the THI was calculated. The cattle's growth rate was determined by biweekly taking its body weight and biometrical parameters such as body length, chest girth, and body height. Physiological parameters such as respiration rate, pulse rate, rectal temperature, rumen motility, and body surface temperature were recorded at weekly intervals during forenoon and afternoon hours. By comparing the values in both the forenoon and afternoon, it was observed that the physiological rates such as respiration rate, pulse rate, rectal temperature, and body surface temperature were higher in the afternoon when compared with the forenoon. The rumen motility was higher in the forenoon than in the afternoon. The serological parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, albumin, and total protein were analyzed. The study revealed significant differences in several parameters, including wither height and chest circumference (biometrical parameters), pulse rate (physiological parameter), and serum levels of glucose, calcium, cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin about THI. It was also observed that bypass protein and fat supplementation did not significantly enhance the growth rate of crossbred heifers during the study period. Keywords: Bypass nutrients; Bypass fat; Bypass protein; Heat stress; Cattle; GrowthItem Assessment of the correlation between thermal stress and mineral status during late gestation in cross bred dairy cattle(College of Climate Change and Environmental Science,Vellanikkara, 2024-07-27) Devamalini,B S.; Harikumar,SIn a hot, humid tropical state like Kerala, the production of crossbred dairy cattle is severely impacted by thermal stress. To implement appropriate mitigation strategies and achieve sustainable production, it is crucial to assess the level of stress and its relationship to physiological changes, particularly when both thermal stress and metabolic stress occur during the late gestation stage. Hence this study was formulated for the assessment of the correlation between thermal stress and mineral status during late gestation in cross-bred dairy cattle. Two distinct sets of six healthy Holstein Friesian crossbred cows (Frieswal) from the 210th day of gestation to the day of calving were selected from the University Livestock Farm and Fodder Research Development Scheme, KVASU, Mannuthy for the present study. The first set included six animals commencing their 210th day of gestation in December, serving as the control group (season Ⅰ). The second set consisted of another six animals commencing their 210th day of gestation in March (season Ⅱ). Thus, the late gestation period of these animals fell in the period of elevated temperature humidity index (THI) (Jisha, 2020). The animals were maintained at standard feeding (ICAR, 2013) and management practices for the entire study period. Clean drinking water was provided ad libitum. During the study period, ambient temperature and relative humidity were collected. Inhouse temperature, inhouse relative humidity, inhouse floor temperature, respiration rate, rectal temperature, and skin temperature (forehead, ear, neck, forelimb, hindlimb, and udder) were recorded at 10:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 5:00 P.M. The blood was taken on 210th, 240th, and 270th days of gestation. The blood samples were collected from the animals two times at the beginning of the 8th and 9th months and from newborn calves. The meteorological and physiological parameters were recorded on three-day intervals from the 210th day specifically at 10:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 5:00 P.M. till the day of calving. All the climatic parameters were significantly elevated in the heat-stressed season (season Ⅱ) compared to the season Ⅰ. In season Ⅱ, there was a significant increase in respiration rate, rectal temperature, and skin temperature. 93 Minerals like Cu, Se, Fe, and Co showed a significant difference. Biochemical parameters like glucose, total protein, albumin, and globulin did not show a consistently significant change. Also, a significant increase in thyroxine (T4) during the heat stress period was noted. Even in the low THI period, the animal started responding to variations in temperature. Microenvironment manipulations like intermittent wetting, ventilation, and forced ventilation as well as mineral supplementation could be adopted for alleviating thermal stress in the terminal stage of gestation in dairy cows for optimizing production in the subsequent lactation period and also the health of the calf born. This observation also pointed to the fact that the thermoneutral zone of different categories of dairy cattle corresponding to different physiological states has to be reassessed with continuous monitoring of physiological parameters in a climate-controlled environment.