DefinePK

Abstract

A Trial was carried out at the Livestock Experiment Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, to find out the effect of feeding bypass fat on dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility, milk production and composition, and body condition score in crossbred cows. For this purpose, 12 early lactating crossbred cows of almost the same stage of lactation and milk production were chosen and divided into four groups. ProLac-100, a product of Zibal Global Animal Nutrition, UAE, was used as by bypass fat. This product was supplemented in Group one (LBFS) @ @100gm/day/animal, Group two (MBFS) @ 150 gm/day/animal, and Group three (HBFS) @ 200 gm/day/ animal. Cows of Group four (NBFS) act as control (without rumen inert fat). Animals were fed individually. The study duration was nine weeks, including a one-week adaptation phase and eight weeks for data collection. There was no significant effect on dry matter intake and digestibility due to bypass fat supplementation. As such, milk yield significantly increased (11.04 to 12.17kg) in supplemented groups as compared to 9.85kg in control cows. Similarly, FCM yield was maximum in MBFS (12.17kg) followed by HBFS (12.09 kg) and LBFS (10.75 kg), and minimum in NBFS (9.49kg). There was no significant difference in the milk yield of cows fed MBFS and HBFS. Milk fat contents increased with the supplementation of bypass fat. Maximum fat percentage was found in HBFS (4.19 %) followed by MBFS (4.00 %) and LBFS (3.88 %). However, a minimum fat of 3.84% was found in control cows. Milk protein contents and total solids in all cows ranged from 3.36 to 3.45 and 12.82 to 13.08 percent, respectively, but this difference was statistically non-significant. A significant improvement in body condition score in treated cows was found. Maximum BCS was in HBFS (3.16), followed by MBFS (2.87) and LBFS (2.77). Minimum was observed in control cows (2.65).