Vol. 10, Issue 2, Part C (2025)

Author(s): Vijay K Karangiya, Monika R Parmar, Miteshkumar R Chavda, Maitri Y Bhavsar, Nilay K Ribadiya, Jignesh A Chavda, Dilip G Vaghamashi and Chandrakant N Jadav

Abstract: Livestock sector plays a significant economic role in developing countries and is essential for the food security of their population. Nutritive value of grass for cattle depends upon the amount of dry matter consumed, the chemical composition and coefficient of digestibility of the dry matter. Chemical composition has been shown to vary with the stage of maturity, soil condition and climate (Wijitphan, 2009). Hedge Lucerne is a perennial green fodder crop. It seems to be alternative protein source to traditionally used oil cakes in the ration of ruminants. Reported that Desmanthus virgatus is palatable to grazing ruminants throughout the growing season. The production in India is very low due to acute shortage of grazing and browsing resources. Hence it is of prime importance to search alternative feed resources to roughages and concentrates for ruminants. Hence, present study was carried out to evaluate the nutritive value of Hedge Lucerne, effects of hedge Lucerne on body weight and to study the return over feed cost of Hedge Lucerne in Gir cattle. Proximate composition of Hedge Lucerne with respect to DM, TA, CP, EE, CF, and NFE (%) was 24.88, 5.60, 19.71, 4.5, 21.26 and 24.05, respectively, on dry matter basis. While the digestibility (%) of DM, CP, EE, CF and NFE was 64.77±1.20, 83.70±0.78, 61.01±3.63, 77.93±1.44 and 51.58±2.69, respectively. Overall mean values of body weight changes (Kg) were 18.00±2.37, 21.67±2.79 & 24.17±1.51 for T-1, T-2 & T-3, respectively. Total feed cost in experimental groups were 8.59% and 23.89 % lower in T₂ and T₃ groups, respectively compared to control (T₁) group. The daily feed cost (₹/animal) was 158.79, 145.15 and 120.85 in T₁, T₂ and T₃ groups, respectively. Return over feed cost in experimental groups was +20.92 % and +34.66 % in T₂ and T₃ groups, respectively as compared to control (T₁) group.