Abstract:
The objective of this study was to determine the
performance of indigenous cattle grazing natural herbage under
coconut with supplementation of straw and low levels of urea,
molasses rice bran and minerals.
A randomized complete block design (RCB) with three
replicates and three treatments viz. control (G) simulating
traditional system of continuous grazing of natural herbage under
land limiting conditions (6 heifers /ha), control plus
unprocessed rice straw ad libitum (GS) and GS plus supplements
(GSS). Heifer calves were 59.1 Kg ± 10.6 (X ± SD) and mean age
of 6 months (range 5-8 months).
Supplements (g/head/d) were rice bran and minerals, 125 and
15 during first year and 500 and 30 g thereafter, respectively.
Urea and molasses were dissolved at the rates of 25 and 125 g in
0.2 1 of water and sprinkled per 1 kg of rice straw during the
first year and 25 and 200 g , respectively thereafter.
Average daily gains (g/head/day) and total weight gains
(kg/ha/year) of animals over the 18 months experimental period
increased (P < 0.05) from G (22.1 and 48.4) through GS (65.5 and
134.2) to GSS (130.96 and 286.79) , respectively. Total herbage
Dry matter (DM) yields (kg/ha/year) increased significantly (P
< .01) from G (3074) through GS (3749) to GSS (4436) while the
straw DM intake (g/head/day) was higher (P < .05) in GSS
(1470.9) compared with GS (701.5).
It is concluded that in a low input output integrated system
that straw alone or straw plus low levels of critical supplements
significantly increased dry matter intake of rice straw and the
overall live weight gains.
