Introduction

·       Low Quality Forages Form The Bulk Of Basal Diet Of Ruminants In India. In Addition, Farmers Feed Their Animals One Or Two Locally Available Concentrate Ingredients, Depending Upon The Level Of Milk Production, Unmindful Of  Animals’ Requirement. This Type Of Diet Is Not Always Able To Meet Protein, Energy, Minerals And Vitamins Requirement Of Animals. As A Result, Animals Either Do Not Produce Milk As Per Their Genetic Potential Or Else, The Cost Of Milk Production Is High On Account Of  Imbalanced Feeding.

·       Different Feed Ingredients Are Rich In Different Nutrients. In View Of This, It Was Felt That If Different Grains, Brans, Protein Meals/Cakes, Chunnies, Agro-Industrial By-Products, Minerals And Vitamins Are Mixed In Suitable Proportion And This Mixture Is Fed To  Animals Along With The  Basal Diet, Nutrient Requirement Of Animals Can Be Met More Judiciously. This Balanced Mixture Of Concentrate Ingredients, Which Varies In Composition In Accordance With The Animal Type, Season, Region Etc., Is Called C:Ompound Cattle Feed. Compound Cattle Feed Could Be In The Form Of Mash, Pellets, Crumbles, Cubes Etc.

MAIN INGREDIENTS OF CATTLE FEED

·       Grains: Maize, Sorghum, Wheat, Rice, Oats, Barley, Ragi, Millets Etc.

·       Brans:  De-Oiled Rice Bran, Rice Polish, Wheat Bran, Maize Bran Etc.

·       Protein Meals/Cakes: Rapeseed Meal/Cake, Soybean Meal, Cottonseed Meal/Cake (Decorticated And Un-Decorticated), Groundnut Meal/Cake, Coconut Meal/Cake, Palm Kernel Meal/Cake, Sesame Cake, Linseed Cake, Maize Germ Oil Cake, Maize  Gluten Meal, Sunflower Meal, Kardi (Safflower) Meal, Guar Meal Etc.

·       Chunnies: Guar, Tur, Urd, Moong, Gram & Chunnies Of Other Locally Available Pulses.

·       Agro-Industrial By-Products: Molasses, Babul Chunni, Tamarind Seed Powder, Mango Kernel Extraction, Prosopis Juliform  Pods, Tapioca Waste Etc.

·       Minerals And Vitamins: Mineral Mixture, Calcite Powder, Common Salt, Di-Calcium Phosphate, Vitamins A, D3  &  E.

HOW COMPOUND CATTLE  FEED IS MANUFACTURED

·       Different Feed Ingredients Are Taken In Batch Mixer From The Raw Material Storage Godown Or Storage Silos, In Accordance With The Computerized Least Cost Feed Formulation. After Mixing, All Raw Materials Are Ground To Uniform Particle Size Of 3 Mm. Ground Material Is Further Mixed. Materials Used In Feed Formulation In Smaller Quantities, Such As Vitamins, Minerals, Urea, Calcite Powder, Common Salt Etc., Are Mixed In A Ribbon Mixer Using Proper Diluents And Stored In One Of The Storage Bins.

·       Ground Material And Molasses Are Mixed Simultaneously In Twin-Screw Type Mixer. Usually, Molasses Are Added @ 10% In Cattle Feed, However, If The Cost Is Very High, Some Sweetening Agent Could Be Used In Place Of Molasses. Molassed Feed Is Mixed With The Dry Steam Before Pelleting. Steam Acts As Conditioner To The Feed And It Helps Killing Some Pathogens. Temperature Of Steamed Feed Is In The Range Of 75-80° C. Steamed Feed Is Converted To Pellets By Passing It Through Cylindrical Die And Press Roller. Usually, 8 Mm Die Is Used For Production Of Pelleted Feed. Pelleted Feed, Thus Produced Is Passed Through Pellet Cooler, Before Packing In HOPE Or Gunny Bags.

QUALITY  CONTROL ASPECTS

·       Each Raw Material Is Tested In The Laboratory, Before It Is Finally Accepted For Production Of Cattle Feed. All Adulterated And Infested Raw Materials Are Out Rightly Rejected, To Ensure Proper Quality Of Finished Product. Even, Finished Product Is Tested For Quality, Before Dispatch. Finished Product Of Improper Quality Is Reprocessed.

SALIENT FEATURES OF  COMPOUND CATTLE  FEED

·       Compound Cattle Feed Contains Grains, Brans, Cakes, Mineral Mixture, And Vitamins, As Source Of Protein, Energy, Minerals And Vitamin

·       Compound Cattle Feed Can Be Fed According To Level Of Milk Productid

·       Composition Of Compound Cattle Feed Can Be Adjusted, Region Wise And Season Wise, So As To Meet Requirement Of Animals.

·       If Fed Along With The Dry Forages (Straws), Helps Improving Intake And Utilization Of Straws, By Way Of Associated E

·       Compound Cattle Feed Is A Balanced And Palatable Source Of Nutrients For Growing, Adult, Milk Producing And Pregnant Animal

·       Its Regular Use Helps In Improving Growth Rate In Young Cal

·       As It Contains Desirable Amount Of Minerals And Vitamins Along With Other Nutrients, Its Use Helps Improving Reproductive Efficiency.

·       Calves Born Are Healthy, If Fed To Pregnant Animals.

·       Through Regular Use Of Compound Cattle Feed In Prescribed Quantity, Cost Of Milk Production From Dairy Animals Can Be Minimized And Net Profitability Can Be Maxima