PERFORMANCE AND SOME BLOOD SERUM CONSTIT-UENTS OF GROWING BUFFALO CALVES FED RATIONS CONTAINING CORN SILAGE

Nassif, M.N.

doi:10.21608/kvmj.2004.112438

PERFORMANCE AND SOME BLOOD SERUM CONSTIT-UENTS OF GROWING BUFFALO CALVES FED RATIONS CONTAINING CORN SILAGE

Document Type : Original Article

Author

M.N. Nassif

Animal Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh, Tanta University.

10.21608/kvmj.2004.112438

Abstract

Twentygrowingmalebuffalocalveswithaveragebodyweightof120kgs and 6-9 month of age were used in this investigation and divided into two equal groups each of ten animals. The first group was fed corn silage alone for three months, while the second control group received a control ration.[Thefirst group showed clinical manifestions of Cu,Zn, Se and vitamin A deficiencies with prevalence particular signs of unthriftness,weight loss, rough hair coat, alopecia in some parts of the body and hypopigmentation, also diarrhoea, bilateral ocular discharge and coughing be noticed in some animals may. Chemical analysis of the diet revealed that, corn silage alone is not a balanced diet for growing calves. Blood serum biochemical analysis of the diseased calves reflected these dietary deficiencies, as it revealed a significant reduction of the previous trace elements together with significant depletion in serum calcium,vitamin A and total proteins in comparison with the control animals.Haematological picture of the diseased calves revealed hypochromic microcytic anaemia, which is indicative for copper deficiency.Diseased calves responded successfully to supplem-entation of concentrate feed mixture and parentral injection of copper methionateandvitaminAtogetherwithdietarymineralsupplementation asclinicalsignsdisappearedandallexaminedblood parameters showed significant improvement towards the normal levels.

Keywords

Main Subjects