• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 1995

The study was conducted at village level in Pabna milkshed areas of Bangladesh to asses the existing feed and fodder sources of cattle. The results showed that the overall number of cattle per farm family was 7.17 and chicken represents highest number (15.57) per farm family in this area. The results also indicated that during monsoon season the bathan is planted with Vigna mungo and Lathyrus sativus and average grazing hours per day varied from 1.1 in October to 5.6 in February. In Summer, they were offered naturally grown Cynodon dactylon with supplementary feeding of rice straw. The study further showed that the highest (65.7%) feed scarcity was found during mid April to mid May followed by mid June. The cultivation of Vigna mungo was highest (76.71%) compared to Lathyrus sativus by the farmers in the bathan areas. The major constraint to cattle production is the scarcity of quality feed during mid October to mid November.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.581-586
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• 1997

The present study analysed the various productive and reproductive characteristics of 1/2 Pabna Milking Cows (PMC)-1/2 Sahiwal (S) and 1/4 PMC-3/4 S collected from the Pabna milkshed area at Baghabarighat, Sirajgonj, Bangladesh. The studied traits were birth weight (BWT), age at puberty (AP), number of services per conception (NSC), post partum heat period (PPHP), gestation period (GP), daily milk yield (DMY), lactational production (LP), lactation length (LL), fat percentage and solids-not-fat percentage (SNFP). Five individual Sahiwal sires were used for the upgrading of Pabna Milking Cows. The used data covered from 1987 to 1994. Least-squares analysis of variance showed that genetic group had a significant effect on BWT (P < 0.05), AP (p < 0.01), DMY (p < 0.01), LP (p < 0.001), LL (p < 0.05), FP (p < 0.05) and SNFP (p < 0.01). Genetic group had non-significant effect on NSC, GP and PPHP. The effect of sire was significant on BWT (p < 0.01), NSC (p < 0.01), LP (p < 0.05) and LL (p < 0.05). The AP, NSC, DMY, LP, LL and SNFP were higher in 1/2 PMC-1/2S cows; BWT and PPHP were higher in 1/4 PMC-3/4S but GP and FP were almost same in both genetic groups. From this study it may be concluded that production and use of 1/2 PMC-1/2S would seem more profitable for commercial milk production in the Bangladesh Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited (BMPCUL) area and at the same time emphasis should be given on rigorous sire selection.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.523-527
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• 1995

Two on farm feeding trials were conducted at the Pabna milkshed area during July to October 1993, to evaluate the response of feeding urea molassesed straw (UMS) on milk production of Pabna milking cows and its economics. A feeding trial of 60 days with 50 Pabna milking cows showed that the cows fed UMS as a replacer of dry straw increased daily milk yield by 1.37 litre. Moreover, it reduced the daily requirement of concentrate by 1.0 kg/head. In the second trial, a herd of 52 animals including 14 milking cows were fed UMS in place of traditionally used dry straw. Introduction of UMS increased the milk production by 1.0 litre/cow/day and saved concentrate by 1.5 kg/cow daily. Urea molassesed straw can safely and economically be fed to lactating cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 1995

An experiment was conducted at Pabna milkshed area under Bathan condition during November, 1992 to February 1993 with 16 milking cows fed legume forage with straw supplementation (treated group) and 8 milking cows fed legume forage only (control group). From the study, the results revealed that supplementation of straw with leguminous diet increases the total dry matter intake (DMI) of 11.83 kg/d/cow for the treated group and 11.53 kg/d/cow for the control group. The average daily legume forage intake was $37.39{\pm}8.67kg/d/cow$ and $49.62{\pm}10.57kg/d/cow$ for the treated and control group respectively and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). The results also exhibited that due to the supplementation of straw, the legume forage intake reduced by 12 kg/d/cow. The forage dry matter intake (DMI) kg/d/cow for the treated and control groups were $6.18{\pm}1.44kg$ and $8.38{\pm}1.95kg$ respectively. The milk production was $8.64{\pm}1.15litre/day$ for the treated group which was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the control group ($7.74{\pm}1.24litre/day$). The average initial body weight of the supplemented and control groups were $338.06{\pm}39.32kg$ and $329.87{\pm}48.03kg$ respectively. Whereas, the final body weight of supplemented group was $344.33{\pm}35.90kg$ and control group was $330.35{\pm}37.28kg$. It may be concluded that straw supplementation with legumes diet could save legume forage for further use as well as increase milk production.