STUDY ON THE DAIRY CATTLE, DRY FODDER FEEDING PRACTICES IN MILKSHED AND NON-MILKSHED AREAS OF BIKANER DISTRICT (RAJASTHAN)
RAMAVATAR SHARMA*
Krishi Vigyan Kendra
Dausa (Rajasthan), India
*(e-mail : dr.ram1996@gmail.com)
SUMMARY
Dry fodder was fed to dairy cattle when sufficient quantity of green fodder was not available. Bajra Kadbi, Sewen Kutar, bhurut Kutar, Pala, Moth phalgati and groundnut bhusa were given in winter
season. In summer season, wheat straw and dry grasses of sewen and bhurut were usually provided adlibitum to all the categories of dairy cattle. There was no variation in the type of dry fodder fed to the dairy cattle in milkshed and non-milkshed areas. Majority of the farmers (91.11% in milkshed area and 74.44% in non-milkshed area) reported that they chopped the dry fodder before feeding it to the dairy cattle. No method of enriching the dry fodder by biological treatment has been practised by the dairy cattle owners. However, chopping and soaking practices were prevalent in milkshed area (65.55%) and in non-milkshed area (50%). There was statistically significant (P<0.05) difference between the two areas.
Key words : Dry fodder, dairy cattle, milkshed areas