Balanced ration

• A balanced ration is one which provides the nutrients to the animal in such proportion and amounts that are required for the

proper nourishment of particular animal for a day.

Desirable characteristic of a ration

Liberal feeding Individual feeding The ration should be properly balanced Must be palatable Variety of Feed in the Ration & Quality of

Feed Enough mineral matter > 0.7% mineral matter per liter of milk produced by

cow

Ration should be fairly Laxative The Ration should be fairly Bulky Allow much of Green fodder Avoid sudden changes in the diet Maintain Regularity in feeding Economy in labour and cost

Three main components: DRY MATTER DIGESTABLE PROTIEN ENERGY

Computation of Ration for cattle

DM requirement depends on body weight of animal and nature of its production stage.

Generally a cattle consumes 2.to 2.5 kgs of dry matter/ 100 kg body weight.

Crossbreed & Buffalo consumes 2.5 to 3.0 kgs of dry matter/100 kg body weight.

All its requirements whether organic nutrients like CHO, proteins, fat or minerals or vitamins should come from the total dry matter that has to be allotted .

Dry Matter

Total Dry matter(DM)

Roughages

Dry roughages

Green roughages

Concentrates

Total Dry matter

2/3 (as roughages)

2/3 Dry roughages

1/3 Green roughages

1/3 (as concentrates)

If non-leguminous roughages

Total Dry matter

2/3 (as roughages)

¾ Dry roughages

¼ Green roughages

1/3 (as concentrates)

If leguminous oughages

A cross breed weighing 400 kg, what is dry matter requirement ?

We, know dry matter req.for crossbreed is……. 2.5 to 3 kg.per 100 kg body weight.

Example

i.e….

4*2.5=10 kg

10 kg total dry matter

2/3 roughages, i.e., 2/3*10=6.66kg

2/3 Dry roughages

i.e.,2/3*6.66=4.44kg

1/3 Green roughages

i.e.,1/3*6.66=2.22kg

1/3 Concentrates, i.e.,1/3*10=3.33 kg

If non leguminous roghages

10 kg total dry matter

2/3 roughages, i.e., 2/3*10=6.66kg

¾ Dry roughages

i.e.,¾ *6.66=4.9 kg

¼ Green roughages

i.e.,¼ *6.66=1.67 kg

1/3 Concentrates, i.e.,1/3*10=3.33 kg

If leguminous green fodder

While, calculating DCP & TDN we have to consider the physiological needs………..like,

Just for maintenance itself, Advance stage of pregnancy, In lactation……..etc. Quantity & quality of milk.

Requirement of Digestable protien & Energy (DCP &TDN)

For maintenance,B. wt. DCP TDN Ca(g) P(g)

carotenes(mg)

300 0.197 2.36 7 7 32400 0.254 3.03 9 9 42500 0.296 3.64 11 11 52

The requirement of DCP & TDN

For 1 kg of milk production,Fat(%) DCP TDN Ca(g) P(g)3.5 0.042 0.29 2.0 1.44.0 0. 045 0.32 2.0 1.44.5 0.048 0.34 2.0 1.46.0 0.057 0.41 2.0 1.4

The average DCP & TDN contents of variety of feeds and fodders are already calculated by various scientists.

From these feeds one has to select suitable concentrates and roughages as available in the locality at suitable rate.

Computing Ration as per Requirement

Ingredients DM DCP TDN Green grasses 25 1 12

(hybrid Napier,/Para/guinea etc.)

Leguminous Green grass 15 2.5 10(Berseem/Lucerne/cowpea etc)

Straws 90 0 44(Wheat straw/rice straw …)

Groundnut cake 90 49.1 77Sesame cake 267 34 80 De-oiled rice bran 90 6 60Wheat bran 90 10 68Gram chuni 90 13.6 87.5Maize crushed 11 7 87

% composition of various feed & fodder

Compute a ration for cow weighing 400 kg, 10 liters of milk having 4.5% of fat.

Locally available feed stuff are as fallows:o Wheat strawo Cowpea foddero Maize crushedo Groundnut cakeo Gram chuni

Example

Find out requirements of DM, DCP, TDN

DM requirement is …….2.5kg*4 = 10 kg

Total DCP requirement is………0.254+(0.048*10) = 0.734

kgTotal TDN requirement is ………

3.03+(0.34*10) = 6.43 kg

Step 1

Find out the amount of DCP & TDN that are consumed through roughages:

Step 2

Ingradients

Amount of DM to be given

Actual amount of ingradients on fresh basis(kg)

DCP(kg) TDN(kg) DCP(kg) TDN(kg)Dry roughages

wheat straw (90) 0 48.9 4.9 2.3961 5.44Green roughages

Oats 77 72 1 0.77 0.72 3.3Cowpea 20.3 62.2 0.6 0.1218 0.3732 2

Total amount given 6.5 0.892 3.4893

Digestable nutrients per 100

kg DM

amount of DCP &TDN given through dry

matter

DCP =

TDN =

Total nutrient req. – nutrient through roghages

Step 3

Ingradients

Amount of DM to be given

Actual amount of ingradients on fresh basis(kg)

DCP(kg) TDN(kg) DCP(kg) TDN(kg)maize 7 87.1

GNC cake 49.1 77Gram chuni 13.6 87.5

Total amount given

Digestable nutrients per 100

kg DM

amount of DCP &TDN given through dry

matter