Research Article/short communications

Abstract

Growing male yak calves (18) of uniform age (12-13 months of age) and body weights (154.7 kg) were randomly divided in to three groups (G1, G2 and G3) and fed with three different types of paddy straw and concentrate based mixed rations namely C1 for G1 with 100% DCP & TDN for a period of 120 days, C2 for G2 with 75% of DCP & TDN for α-period of 60 days followed by 100% of DCP & TDN for another 60 days (C2) and C3 for G3 with 75% of DCP & TDN for 60 days (C2) followed by 100% of DCP & 110% of TDN as per NRC (1989) for dairy cattle for another 60 days (C3). The average daily gain in body weight of the animals significantly decreased in group G2 and G3 though their dry matter intakes were significantly higher in comparison to the group G1 during the 1st phase of the experiment (1-60 days). However, with increased level of digestible crude protein and total digestible nutrients in next phase (61-120 days) of the experiment, the body weights of the animals under group G2 and G3 significantly increased in spite of their significantly lower intakes of dry matter; indicating compensatory growth in growing yaks with better plane of nutrition that loose due to under nutrition.