Poster presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(7)445-448

1. Preliminary assessment of rearing male buffalo calves with fresh Leucaena
leucocephala as the main ration in Western Maharashtra, India
NARI
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NANDINI NIMBKAR , SHARAD CHOUDHARI AND BON NIMBKAR
Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Lonand Road, Phaltan 415523, Maharashtra, India
References
1) Gupta PC; Virk AS; Khatta VK; Kumar N. 1986. Effect of feeding Leucaena leucocephala hay on the nutrients utilization and growth performance in buffalo calves. Indian Journal
of Animal Sciences. 56 (1): 147-148.
2) Nulik J; Kana Hau D. 2015. Daily body weight gain of Bali cattle fed with Leucaena leucocephala as the main ration in West Timor, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Proceedings
of the VI International Seminar on Tropical Animal Production, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 20-22 October 2015. P. 147-150.
3) Panjaitan T; Fauzan M; Dahlanuddin D; Halliday MJ; Shelton HM. 2014. Growth of Bali bulls fattened with Leucaena leucocephala in Sumbawa, Eastern Indonesia. Tropical Grass-
lands-Forrajes Tropicales. 2: 116-118.
4) Sharma DD; Sehgal JP; Singhal KK; Ghosh MK. 1995. Fattening of growing male buffalo calves for quality meat production. NDRI-Al-Kabeer Consultancy Project Report. National
Dairy Research Institute (ICAR), Karnal, Haryana, India
Conclusions
The study has demonstrated that rearing MBCs on leuacena-grass pastures is a
profitable exercise. Indian farmers should be encouraged to plant leucaena to
provide an additional source of income.
Study
NARI
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2 4 6 8 10 12
90
100
110
120
130
140
Number of weeks from purchase
Bodyweight(kg)
Graph 1 : Body weight of MBCs in the first stage of the study
Calf 1
Calf 2
f(x) = p1*x + p2
Calf1
r = 0.978
p1 = 3.662
p2 = 82.620
Calf2
r = 0.970
p1 = 4.882
p2 = 82.740
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
50
100
150
200
250
300
Number of days from acquisition
Bodyweight(kg)
Graph 2 : Body weight of MBCs in the second stage of the study
Calf 1
Calf 2
Calf 3
Calf 4
f(x) = p1*x
3
+ p2*x
2
+ p3*x + p4
Calf1
r = 0.997
p1 = −1.783e−06
p2 = 1.870e−03
p3 = −0.034
p4 = 45.330
Calf2
r = 0.997
p1 = −1.383e−06
p2 = 1.558e−03
p3 = −0.092
p4 = 47.680
Calf3
r = 0.996
p1 = −1.716e−06
p2 = 1.751e−03
p3 = −0.140
p4 = 45.990
Calf4
r = 0.998
p1 = −2.775e−06
p2 = 2.861e−03
p3 = −0.348
p4 = 61.05
MBC feeding on ‘Wondergraze’
leucaena
Study 1
88 days
(7-8 months’ old)
Study 2
574 days
(3-4 months’ old)
MBCs grazing in the buffelgrass-
leucaena pasture
Results and discussion
Study 1
Study 2
Initial
Weight
(Kg)
Calf 1 89 130
Calf 2 79 142
Calf 1 45 305
Calf 2 37 247
Calf 3 43 218
Calf 4 51 283
Final
Weight
(Kg)
Grazed
on
Farm 1
Farm 1
&
Farm 2
Study Subject Extra
feed
-
dried/fresh
chopped
sweet
sorghum
stalks/leaves
Establishment of pastures
Farm 1
L. leucocephala cv. Wondergraze L. leucocephala cv. Tarramba
Cenchrus ciliaris cv. Laredo Gliricidia sepium
(4000 m²)
13 double
rows
12 plots
0.9 m
4.5 m
Water channel
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Farm 2
(8000 m²)
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
11 plots
4 m
10 rows1 m
2 rows
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
The daily weight gains recorded when MBCs were grazed on leucaena-buffel-
grass pasture were about three times those when they were grazed on buffel-
grass pasture with protein supplements.
In India about 14 million MBCs are estimated to perish annually. Salvaging and rearing of male buffalo calves (MBCs) would not only help further augment meat exports
(currently worth US$ 4 billion annually), but also provide more raw material for the domestic leather industry and open up a new avenue for rural employment. The potential
for fattening of MBCs for quality meat production was highlighted as early as 1995 in a report of the National Dairy Research Institute (Sharma et al. 1995).
Leucaena leucocephala is a leguminous tree that can provide high quality fodder year-round if properly managed and pruned regularly (Panjaitan et al. 2014; Nulik and
Kana Hau 2015). No ill-effects on the general health of MBCs fed 70% of their dry matter requirements as leucaena were observed although weight gains were only half
of those of controls fed 3.5 kg concentrates and 3.5 kg wheat straw daily (Gupta et al. 1986). We grazed MBCs on leucaena-grass pastures.
Introduction
Economics of Study 2
Setting up Pasture
Rs. 12500
Manual Weed
Control
Rs. 12500
Fencing
Rs. 40000
Buying 4 MBC's
Rs. 20000
Minimum selling price of 4
MBCs (250-300 kg each)
Projected Net profit
after 1.5-2 years
Pasture Establishment
Cost Rs. 65000
Rs. 100000
Rs. 15000
Cost of buying four 3-4
month old MBCs
Rs. 20000