Compound Cattle Feed

Compound cattle feed is a mixture of various concentrate feed ingredients in suitable proportion. Commonly used ingredients in compound cattle feed include grains, brans, protein meals/cakes, chunnies, agro-industrial by-products, minerals and vitamins. Compound cattle feed is an economical source of concentrate supplements and it could be in the form of mash, pellets, crumbles, cubes, etc.

Compound cattle feed is palatable and good source of nutrients for growing, adult, dry, milk producing and pregnant animals. Through regular use of compound cattle feed in prescribed quantity along with basal diet, cost of milk production from dairy animals can be optimised and net profitability can be increased.

Compound cattle feed needs to be fed as follows:

Particulars

Cows
(400 kg body wt.)

Buffaloes
(500 kg body wt.)

For maintenance

1.5 - 2.0  kg

2.0 - 2.5 kg

For milk production (per litre)

400 grams

500 grams

For pregnancy

2.0 kg (last two months)

2.0 – 2.5 kg (last two months)

Presently, in India only two types of compound cattle feeds are manufactured for adult animals. Considering the increase in milk yield, regional variation in feed availability, preference of farmers it is required to produce different varieties of compound cattle feed. NDDB also promotes use of different compound feeds such as, calf starter, calf growth meal, feed for high yielding animals, feed for low yielding animals, buffalo feed, feed for dry pregnant animals etc.

NDDB provides cattle feed advisory services to Cattle Feeds Plants (CFPs) under the dairy cooperatives, by providing guidelines on quality of raw materials and finished products. CFPs are also assisted in least cost feed formulation, purchase specifications and test methods of cattle feed raw materials, finished products, including mineral mixture. 

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