Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 86 (2): 203–205, February 2016/Short communication

Performances of lactating yaks on silage and complete feed block

based feeding regiments
D MEDHI1, S S HANAH2, P P SARMAH3, KARMU TSERING4, E ALI5, P P DAS6, P J DAS7 and S M DEB8

ICAR- National Research Centre on Yak, Dirang, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh 790 101 India

Received: 26 June 2015; Accepted: 6 July 2015

Key words: Complete feed block, Growth performance, Milk yield, Silages, Yak

Yaks are not fed any supplementary feed except some weights were randomly divided in to 4 groups of four
salts at regular interval. Generally milch and pregnant yaks animals each namely T1, T2, T3 and T4 and fed individually
are fed to support optimum milk production and normal for 112 days with maize stover based complete feed blocks
foetal development (Chatterjee 2003). In long cold season (CFB-T1), maize silage with and without concentrates (T2
(Nov–Jun), yaks suffer from inadequate feeding due to and T3) and free grazing (T4), respectively. The dry matter
shortage of herbages under the traditional farming system, intake of the experimental animals under T1, T2 and T3 were
resulting in big seasonal body weight losses (25 to 30 %), calculated from the differences of the daily feed offered
low milk production and fertility (Baruah et al. 2012). and voided and for grazing yaks (T4) was calculated by
Therefore, people related with yak rearing, living in using formula given by Minson and McDonald 1987. The
Qinghai–Tibetan, Plateau describe yak “alive in summer, daily milk yield and fortnightly body measurements were
strong in autumn, thin in winter and tired in spring” and recorded to evaluate the changes in milk yields and body
this can also be applicable in India, though the length of weight of the animals. The data were subjected to statistical
winter here is somewhat shorter. The average milk yield / analysis (CRD design) as per Snedecor and Cochran (1986).
cow a day is around 1.3±0.6 kg and the milking period from The data on the physical and chemical compositions of
calving lasts for 110–130 days. These situations suggested the complete feed blocks, silages and concentrate mixtures
that there is a big potential to improve yak productivity used for the study have been presented in table 1 and their
through developing roughage sources and supplements for chemical compositions observed to be within the marginal
cows during winter as concentrates are not fed to them level. The average daily gain in body weight calculated on
besides over-grazing owing to competition of different
livestock on summer pasture and snowfall during winter Table 1. Physical and proximate compositions of the
also results in deterioration of pasture. There is little experimental diets used for lactating yaks
information available, particularly in using conserved
Attributes CFB (maize stover Concentrate Maize
roughages to feed yaks for improvement of their productive
50+ conc. mixture silage
and reproductive performances. However, maize, the most mixture 50)
potential fodder of the hilly areas, become abundantly
available in NE regions of the country and could be Maize stover 50 -
conserved through ensiling for feeding the livestock during Maize crushed 08 36.00
scarcity. Hence, the present study was conducted to observe Rice polish 15 20.00
the effect of ensiled and densified forages on milk yields Wheat bran - 15.00
Ground nut cake 10 10.00
and retention of body weights in lactating yak cows.
mustard oil cake 13 16.00
The study was conducted at Nyukmadung farm of molasses 03 2.00
National Research Centre on Yak, West Kameng district of Common salt 01 1.00
Arunachal Pradesh situated at 7,500 ft above msl. Lactating Cost per kg (Rs) 16.03 26.16 8.00
yaks (16) of uniform parity (second and third) and body Proximate compositions (% DM basis except DM content)
DM 85 87.86 37.68
Present address: 1 Senior Scientist (dinamanimedhi OM 89 90.30 91.08
@gmail.com), Animal Nutrition, 2 Scientist (stephenhanah CP 12.0 17.61 9.82
@gmail.com), LPM, 3,5SRF(pranabpratim90@gmail.com), EE 2.1 4.38 2.69
(alieyashin@gmail.com), 4Research Assistant (karmutsering5 CF 35.0 7.12 22.54
@gmail.com), 6Research Associate (dpartha21july @gmail.com), NFE 40.0 61.22 56.03
7Senior Scientist (drpranabjyotidas@gmail.com), AGB, 8Director
T. ash 10.5 9.70 8.92
(sm_deb@yahoo.com).

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204 MEDHI ET AL. [Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 86 (2)

Table 2. Performance of the lactating yaks fed ranged from 2.17 to 2.70kg/100kg body weight. Basu et al.
different dietary regiments (2005) reported the DMI as 2 % of their body weight in
adult yaks weighing on an average body weight of 212 kg,
Particulars Group Group Group Group maintained under grazing when the study was conducted at
T1 T2 T3 T4
an altitude of 4,242 m above sea level. They also reported
Gain in weight that the yak cows need extra feed to meet their requirement
Initial body weight (kg) 206.79 215.38 216.47 206.50 for milk yields; moreover the lactating yaks consumed more
±8.36 ±2.06 ±10.62 ±3.86 feed at low temperature. Liu et al. (1997) observed the dry
Final body weight 214.58a 228.26a 223.33a 192.64b matter intake in grazing yaks as 3.8 and 3.9 kg/day, 3.01
at 112 days (kg) ±8.43 ±1.64 ±11.69 ±6.02 and 3.38 kg/100 kg and 101 and 111g/kg metabolic body
Total weight gain/loss 7.80b 12.87a 6.86 b –13.85 weight, respectively, when they were maintained on mature
at 112 days (kg) ±0.38 ±1.45 ±1.38 ±3.41
and premature forages, respectively.
Average daily gain (g) 0.07b 0.11a 0.06b –0.12
±0.00 ±0.01 ±0.01 ±0.03 The daily milk yields of the yak cows were significantly
% of body weight 3.77 5.98 3.17 –6.71 higher in group T2 fed maize silage with ad lib. concentrate
gain/loss mixtures (0.94±0.07 litre / day) than the other groups with
Dry matter intake/animal lowest yields observed in group T4 that fed solely on free
Dry matter intake 5.12b 5.29b 6.07c 3.88a grazing (0.36±0.05 litre / day). There was reduction in milk
(kg/day) yield but not complete cessation hence, there is need to
Dry matter intake 2.39b 2.32b 2.72c 2.01a supply small amounts of concentrates in the form of wheat
(kg/100kg flour or maize flour etc. to support optimum milk production
body weight)
and normal foetal development (Chatterjee 2003, Chai et
Dry matter intake 91.31b 90.07b 105.07c 75.04a
(g/kg W 0.75 al. 2004). The cost of feeding in terms of per kg milk yields
body weight) was significantly reduced in group T3 than that of other
Milk yield (kg) experimental groups (35.15% less compared to T1 group
Total yield (kg) 102.13b 103.61b 93.45b 40.60a that were fed complete feed blocks).
(112 days) ±5.62 ±8.38 ±12.51 ±5.87 Study revealed feeding of silages with or without
Milk (kg/day) 0.91b 0.94b 0.83b 0.36a supplementation of concentrates and complete feed blocks
±0.05 ±0.07 ±0.11 ±0.05 (CFB) has beneficial effects in lactating yaks during winter
Economics of feeding both in terms of retention of loss in body weights and milk
Absolute (Rs/kg 90.19c 78.99b 58.51a -
yields.
milk yield)
Relative (%) 100c 87.58b 64.87a - SUMMARY
Means in a row bearing the same superscript do not differ An experiment was conducted on lactating yaks at
significantly. Nyukmadung farm under ICAR. Lactating yaks (16) of
the basis of the body measurements varied among the groups uniform age and parity (second and third) and body weights
and values changed negatively in group T4 (–0.12±0.03 kg/ were randomly divided into groups T1, T2, T3 and T4 of 4
day) that was not fed supplementary feed (Table 2) and animals each and fed individually for 112 days with maize
recorded a reduction of body weight of 6.71 % of the initial stover based complete feed blocks (CFB-T1), maize silage
body weights. Loss in body weight of the yaks reportedly with and without concentrates (T2 and T3) and free grazing
ranged from 16.17% (Baruah et al. 2012) to 25–30% (Long (T4), respectively. The average daily gain in body weight
et al. 1999). The digestible protein content of winter dry varied among the groups and values changed negatively in
grasses could maintain only 55% of the maintenance animals of T4 that were fed no supplementary feeding. The
requirements in growing yaks leading negative balances of cost of feeding in terms of per kg milk yields was
body weights in yaks (Xie et al. 1996). The decreasing significantly reduced in group T 3 than that of other
trends of live weights gain in growing yaks on natural experimental groups. Study revealed silage feeding with
grasslands of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau from January to May, or without supplementation of concentrates and complete
but the same could gain @419.33g/day during summer and feed blocks (CFB) have beneficial effects in lactating yaks
autumn (Xue et al. 2004). during winter.
Dry matter intakes (DMI) in lactating yaks ranged from ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
3.88 to 6.07kg, 2.01 to 2.72kg and 75.04 to 105.07g,
respectively, per day, per 100 kg body weight and per kg The authors are thankful to the Director, Indian Council
metabolic body weight. However, the dry matter intakes in of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre on Yak,
yaks also depend on the type of feed resources. Feeding West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh for providing the financial
feed blocks with area-specific mineral mixture could supply help and infrastructure facilities to undertake the study.
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