Evaluation of feeding value of rubber seed cake for promoting growth in calves

Abstract

A detailed investigation was carried out to assess the value of rubber seed cake as an ingredient in the concentrate mixture of calves to study the growth rate, nutriture, feed efficiency and economics of rearing. Twenty four, Jersey x Sindhi cross – bred calves of 8 – 14 months of age belonging to the University Livestock Farm, Mannuthy were divided into three equal groups and distributed under three dietary treatments, T1, T2 and T3, the animals being fed concentrate mixtures containing 0, 15 and 30 per cent levels of rubber seed cake respectively for a period of six months. Paddy straw served as the sole roughage. Rubber seed cake at 30 per cent level promoted better weight gains, body size and feed efficiency. Incorporation of rubber seed cake in the concentrate mixture improved the digestibility coefficients of nutrients as also the balance of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus in the animals. Animals fed rubber seed cake maintained perfect health as evidenced from their haematological values and were free from any toxic effect as adjudged from the histopathological examination of the internal organs and their carcass quality. The cost of feed was found to be 14 per cent lower for kg body weight gain when rubber seed cake was incorporated at 30 per cent level in the concentrate mixture of growing calves. The overall results obtained during the course of the present investigation indicate that rubber seed cake can be incorporated in the concentrate mixture for growing calves at 30 per cent level to achieve both biological and economic efficiency.