Effect of feeding rice straw and supplements on the performance of cattle under small farmer conditions

Evenly matched pairs of heifers owned by small dairy farmers grazing under coconut under their own conditions were used. They were either fed rice straw ad libitum (S) or S supplemented (SS) with low levels of urea, molasses, rice bran, vitamin/minerals (24, 90, 70 and 16 g/ head/ d, respectively) up to first oestrus and then doubled and trebled during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. Botanical and proximate composition plus dry matter yields of herbage/weeds at each location were recorded. In order of dominance (0 ± SD for all locations), species composition (%) was: pasture grasses (42.6 ± 18.2), fodder grasses (24.8 ± 21.4) with leguminous and other species (16.2± 3.8 and 16.4 ± 8.8, respectively). Proximate composition (%) for pooled (spp., locations overtime) herbage samples (0 ±SD) were: DM (20.6 ± 1.9) CP (10.9± 1.0) and CF (29.3 ± 2.9) indicating an acceptable CP level. Similarly the yield was 1414 ± 263 kg/ha/yr, but pointing to a restricted supply of quantity. Supplementation significantly (P< 0.05) improved the age at first oestrus (11.3 vs 10.5 mo), average live weight gain (ADG, 162 vs 252 g/head/d)) and the live weight at which first oestrus(135.1 vs 154.6 kg/head). The corresponding data which also differed (P<0.05) in favor of SS compared to S were, 33.3 vs 30.5 mo, 233 Vs 322 g/head/d and 208.1 vs 253.4 kg/head), respectively. The weight of calves at birth and the yield of milk were also significantly (P < 0.05) higher due to feeding of supplements. It is recommended that the resource poor small dairy farmers should move away from more extensive to a more intensive stall feeding system of management, based on cheaply available feed resources such as straw, tree legume forage and critical supplements to balance the ration.