1The Indonesian Beef Cattle Research Station, Grati-Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia
2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University, West Java, Indonesia
3The Indonesian Research Institute for Animal Production, Ciawi-Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
*Corresponding Author: R. Antari, The Indonesian Beef Cattle Research Station, Grati-Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia, Email: risa.antari@uq.net.au
Online published on 30 October, 2023.
Protected calcium salts-fatty acid-amino acid supplement contains high-density of energy that can be used as cattle feed. This study aimed to test the efficacy of the supplements in the growth rate of young Ongole crossbred bulls.
Thirty Ongole crossbred bulls (345±14 kg; live weight±SEm) were ranked and blocked based on liveweight and randomly allotted to one of three supplement levels (A: null 0 g/kg; B: 0.3 g/kg and C: 0.6 g/kg LWs) and 10 replicates. All bulls were offered elephant grass and a concentrate diet containing 12% crude protein and 65% of total digestible nutrients. The parameters were liveweight gain, hip height gain, body condition score, feed conversion ratio, plasma fat and glucose concentrations, back fat and muscle depth.
There was no significant difference in feed intake among treatment groups (P>0.05). All bulls ate around 11 kg/d on a DM basis, equal to around 2.8% LW. Bulls in C group were heavier and gained more weight (P<0.05) and required less feed/kg LWG. The depths of backfat and muscle depth were no differences between treatments (P>0.05). The inclusion of 0.6 g/kg LW of the supplement improve the growth rate of young Ongole crossbred bulls.
Amino acid, Bull, Calcium salts, Growth rate, Ongole
