Monitoring Some Feeding Packages Used to Feed Buffalo in Small Farms

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 animal production system, Animal Production Research institute, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

2 Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University

3 Department of animal production systems, animal production research institute, agriculture research center

4 animal production department, faculty of agriculture, Ain shams university

Abstract

The adoption of some feed technical packages {Corn Silage (CS) and Corn Silage -Molasses (CSM)} is applied in feeding buffaloes. The study was conducted from February 2019 to March 2020. Two Buffalo Government Research Stations (BGRS) (Mahallat Musa & El-Sero) plus 38 and 42 Buffaloes Smallholders in Sharkia and Fayuom governorates were selected. The results show that the younger farmers were welling to adopt feeding technologies. For feeding buffaloes, In the two transitional feeding seasons BGRS used significantly (P≤0.05) less quantity of corn silage (CS) 7 kg/day compared to (Sharkia 12.8 and Fayuom 13.4 kg/day). The total milk yield, and lactation length of buffaloes in BGRS were higher significantly (P≤0.05) than smallholders while, calving intervals were less. Likewise, smallholders have the CS used in rations of smallholders appeared significantly (P≤0.05) higher level of milk production, compared to those of CSM or traditional rations. Gross margin of buffaloes fed rations of CS or CSM were more revenue 63.2 and 37.1 L.E. /head/day than those fed traditional ration. It can be concluded that the use of CS or CSM in feeding buffalo improved the farm profit.

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