Balanced Concentrate Mixtures | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Balanced Concentrate Mixtures

Importance of Concentrate Mixtures:

• Due to the low quality of roughages, supplementing with concentrate mixtures is essential to sustain production levels.

Composition of Concentrate Mixtures:

• Concentrate mixtures are formulated to balance the Dietary Crude Protein (DCP) and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN).
• Additional considerations are made for Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), and Sodium Chloride (NaCl) levels to minimize deficiencies.
• This balance is achieved by incorporating 1-2% of finely ground limestone, steamed bone meal, or high-quality mineral mix, along with 1% salt.

Nutrient Content:

• A well-balanced concentrate mixture is particularly rich in phosphorus, especially with the inclusion of bran, containing around 5g of phosphorus and 1.5-2.0g of calcium per kilogram.

Varying Requirements:

• The DCP and TDN content in the concentrate mixture varies based on factors like lactation, growth, maintenance, pregnancy, milk production, and dry periods.
• For optimal milk production, a concentrate mixture with a minimum of 16% DCP and 72% TDN is recommended, with 1kg sufficient to meet the DCP and TDN needs for producing 2.5kg of milk.

Explanation:

• To maintain livestock production, supplementing with concentrate mixtures compensates for the deficiencies in roughages.
• These mixtures are carefully crafted to provide the necessary nutrients like DCP, TDN, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium chloride.
• Adding specific components like limestone, bone meal, mineral mix, and salt ensures a well-rounded nutrient profile.
• Concentrate mixtures, especially when enriched with bran, offer a significant amount of phosphorus and calcium.
• The composition of the concentrate mixture should align with the specific needs of the livestock, such as milk production, with varying DCP and TDN requirements.