A food that provides a moderate amount of six types of food is called a balanced diet. Carbohydrates, carbs or proteins, fats or oils, nutrients or vitamins, mineral salts and water are essential nutrients.
Balanced diet-
0 gives strength and ability to work in the body;
0 Grows and corrects the body;
0 Helps to keep the body disease free.
Cattle food is mainly divided into two parts 1. Bran or fibrous food. 2. Granular food.
Bran or fibrous food
In this type of cow feed, the nutrient content is comparatively less than the volume. It mainly provides starchy foods. It has low digestibility but requires a moderate supply of food for the survival, growth and production of chewing animals. The fodder cattle feed consists of hay, stubble, hay or hay, grazing grass and protected grass.
Granular food
Foods that are relatively high in food and easy to digest are called granular foods. The granular dairy products are rice husk, wheat bran, maize, various types of khail, kalai, gram, khesari, soybean and dried fish powder. Grain foods can be divided into three parts based on the amount of meat. A. Low carb rich foods like husks, bran (5-15% carbs). B. Medium non-vegetarian food such as khail, kalai, gram 20-25% meat. C. High meat rich food Dried fish powder, meat particles of butchery, blood powder 35-45% meat.
Calf food
After the calf is delivered, the calf should be fed its mother's first milk, that is, raw milk. Because it contains a lot of anti-inflammatory ingredients. The main food of the calf is milk because in the first week after birth the calf cannot eat anything except milk. For every 10 kg of calf weight, 1 kg of milk should be fed daily. Even if the calf weighs more than 30 kg, it is necessary to provide 3 kg of milk. From two weeks the calf can be given a little grass and granular feed. After 6-6 months of age, calves should be given adequate amount of non-vegetarian food. First of all, easy to digest green grass should be given without coarse food. The physical growth of calves depends mainly on the supply of digestible meat. The amount of food will also increase with age.
Dairy cow food
Usually 2 kg of straw is required for every 100 kg of dairy cows. 1 kg of straw is equivalent to 3 kg of fresh green grass. Cows need to be given 1 kg of dry fiber (straw) and 3 kg of fresh green fiber grass for every 100 kg of weight. In other words, a dairy cow weighing 500 kg should be provided 5 kg of dry straw and 15 kg of green grass. The need for granular food depends on milk production. The first 3 kg of milk production requires 3 kg of mixed granular food and the next 3 kg requires 1 kg of mixed granular food. However, if the amount of fat in milk is 4 percent or less. If the fat content of milk is more than 4%, 1 kg of mixed granular food is required for every 2.5 kg of milk instead of 3 kg of milk. As such, domestic and crossbred cows have to be provided maximum 6 kg and pure foreign cows have to be provided maximum 7 kg mixed granular feed.
To meet the demand for salt, cows need to be fed 60 grams of salt per head and 60 grams of sterile bone powder per head per day. The green grass supplied in the diet can meet the vitamin A requirement of the cow. Vitamin B can prepare the process by itself in cattle. Cows need to be provided plenty of pure water. Among the raw grasses fed to cattle, Napier and Para grasses are economically viable and profitable grass production methods.
Napier grass
Grass is the main food of cattle. Nutritious grass contains almost all the ingredients including body building ingredients. Napier is notable among the more productive grasses of improved varieties. Due to its high nutritional value, this grass is very delicate and nutritious for cattle.
In order to achieve food self-sufficiency in our country, fallow lands are also being gradually brought under foodgrain cultivation. As a result, cattle are facing extreme food crisis today. To solve this crisis, it is necessary to cultivate improved grasses to increase the production of more cattle feed on limited land. If good quality grass is cultivated, the food problem of cattle will be reduced a lot. As a result, the goal of human food production will not be hindered. Napier improved grass. If the farmers are aware about the cultivation methods and qualities of this grass, they will be encouraged to cultivate this grass.
Napier grass is a perennial plant. It belongs to the Gramini family. This grass is available for several years after cultivation once. Its leaves and stems look a bit like a sugarcane tree. Ka- round and green in color. This grass grows in all types of soil. However, its yield is highest in sandy loam soils. High ground is good for this grass. Inadequate for grass cultivation in flood prone lands. The climate of Bangladesh is very suitable for Napier grass cultivation.
Cultivation method: For cultivation of this grass, 4-5 cultivations have to be done in the land and after weeding with a ladder, it has to be planted. Stems with two eyes are used for grafting. This grass can be planted throughout the monsoon season. However, the best time for planting is at the beginning of the monsoon. If it is planted in the land after the first rain in the months of Baishakh and Jyastha, the grass can be cut 3-4 times in the first year itself. Stems with 2 eyes or stems with roots should be planted in rows. The distance from one line to another will be 2-3 feet and the distance from one sapling to another will be one and half feet. If there is no sap in the soil, watering should be done after planting the seedlings. Usually 6-7 thousand saplings or cuttings are required for planting per acre of land.
Fertilizer application and water irrigation: Fertilizer and water are required for good yield and growth of plants. Irrigation is not required in monsoon season. But at other times irrigation is usually required.
Land preparation time: 1.50-2.00 tons of dung per acre should be mixed with soil. In addition, urea, TSP and MOP fertilizers are used in chemical fertilizers.
According to the report of Savar Dairy Farm, 112, 69 and 40 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash per acre are applied in a year. After mowing the grass twice, 50 kg urea per acre is sprinkled on the land to get higher yield. Before spraying the manure, loosen the space between the two rows with a plow or spade.
Use and yield of grass: It is best to cut and feed Napier grass. This reduces wastage and increases yield at a later stage. It is suitable for mowing after 3 months of planting. Grass can be cut every 3 weeks. Yield is slightly lower in the first year but increases in the next 2-3 years. Grass is usually harvested 8-10 times a year and it is possible to get an average of 30-40 metric tons of raw grass per acre per year. Leaving the stems at the base of the grass is good for the next harvest.
This grass can be cut from the land and fed directly to cattle. In addition, it can be fed by cutting it into 2-3 inches and mixing it with straw. Napier grass contains 8% protein. Napier grass is not convenient to store dry. However, raw grass can be silaged and stored in the dry season.
Planting place
0 Government of Bangladesh Cattle Development and Dairy Farms - Cattle Development and Dairy Farms, Savar, Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Bogra;
0 All district artificial insemination centers;
0 All Upazila Livestock Offices.
Village farmers need to be given a chance to know better about Napier grass cultivation methods. Propaganda alone is not enough. There is a system of distribution of grass saplings in each upazila so that the farmers can cut grass or collect saplings. Encouraging all concerned and introducing Napier grass cultivation will undoubtedly be beneficial.