Associative effect of feeding jowar straw in combination with soybean straw to crossbred (HF X Deoni) interse calves on digestibility and economics

Experiment was designed to improve the utilization of soybean straw by simple physical mixing of jowar straw with soybean straw. Nine H.F.X Deoni cross bred interse calves of 6 to 12 months of age were selected. Three calves under each treatment were allotted with similar weight and age forming three groups. The control group was fed with jowar straw adlib + concentrate (T₀) and the group with jowar straw 50% and soybean straw 50% + concentrate was designated as treatment T₁ and T₂ having 100% soybean straw + concentrate as per requirement. Total experimental period was of 105 days in switch over design with a period of 35 days per period. The digestibility of dry matter in cross-bred calves under treatment T₁ (56.77%) was significantly (P<0.05) superior over treatment T₀ (55.75%) and T₂ (55.35%). The digestibility of CP, CF, EE and NFE under treatment T₀, T₁ and T₂ was 55.77, 57.77 and 56.00, 52.18, 52.61 and 51.64, 53.15, 56.00 and 54.71 and 56.62, 56.70 and 56.76 per cent, respectively. The cost per kg body weight gain was highest in treatment T₀ (Rs. 48.99) and followed by T₁ (Rs. 43.09) and T₂ (Rs. 39.11).