Efficacy of normal maize versus quality protein maize on the performances of yaks calves

Abstract

Ten growing yaks of uniform age (6 to7 months) and body weights (49.7±0.94kg) were randomly divided into two groups of five animals in each and were fed on mixed rations for a period of 112 days. The normal maize part of the concentrates in Ration-1 (R1) was completely (w/w) replaced with QPM in Ration-R2 and offered to group T1 and T2, respectively. Standard managemental practices were adopted for all the experimental animals. At the end, a metabolism trial of 6 days duration was carried out in all yaks. The average DMI/100 kg body weight and average daily gain were higher with better feed efficiency in the group T2 fed diets based on quality protein maize. The nutritive values in terms of Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) showed no significant variations between the groups and the values were 5.00±0.47 and 56.54±1.08 and 5.25±0.24 and 57.63±1.14 percent in group T1 and T2, respectively. The digestibility as well as the nutrient balances increases with 5% reduction of feed cost of growing yaks in T2 fed quality protein maize based diets replacing normal maize in T1. It was concluded that normal maize can easily be replace with quality protein maize for growing yaks for higher economic returns.