Performance of Ongole Grade Cattle Fed Mulberry Leave Meal Combined with Different Concentrates

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to study the ability of mulberry leave meal addition on concentrates on the digestibility of nutrient and performance of Ongole Grade. This experiment used a randomized block design, with 4 treatments and 4 blocks. Treatments consisted of P1 (native grass and concentrate feed in the form of mulberry leaves meal and concentrate complete), P2 (native grass and concentrate feed in the form of mulberry leaves meal and corn concentrate), P3 (native grass and concentrate feed in the form of mulberry leaves meal and rice bran concentrate), P4 (native grass and concentrate feed in the form of mulberry leaves meal and concentrate tapioca waste). The experiment was conducted for 4 months with the adaptation periods for 2 weeks. Parameters measured were feed consumption, daily body weight gain, feed efficiency, Income Over Feed Cost (IOFC), revenue cost ratio, nutrient digesbility, nitrogen retention, VFA, NH3 and allantoin urine. The results showed that the mulberry leave meal addition on different concentrate did not significantly (P>0.05) affect daily body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency and Income Over Feed Cost (IOFC), but significantly on digestibility of dry matter and organic matter (P<0.05). It is concluded that based on the nutrient digestibility, mulberry leave meal concentrate can be combined with a single concentrate such as corn, cassava waste meal or complete concentrate .