Water-washed neem (azadirachta indica) seed kernel cake in the feeding of milch cows

Abstract

A full lactation (300 days) experiment on 32 crossbred milch cows, separated into two groups was carried out. Group 1 (control) was given a concentrate mixture consisting of 400 g groundnut cake, 300 g crushed maize, 270 g wheat bran, 20 g mineral mixture and 10 g common salt per kg; while in group 2 (experimental) the groundnut cake was replaced by water-washed neem seed kernel cake (WWNSKC). Roughage was common in both the groups. Digestion and balance study on nine cows in group 1 and eight in group 2 was carried out after 3 months experimental feeding. Milk yield was recorded twice daily and butter fat, protein and total solids were determined every month in the milk of each animal. The results showed that there was no significant difference (P > 0·05) in the milk yield, butter fat content, organoleptic evaluation of milk, dry-matter intake, digestibility of nutrients, haemoglobin, SGOT, SGPT, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase in blood and reproductive ability of the cows in the two groups. The nitrogen balance was higher in the WWNSKC group (P < 0·05) due mainly to less excretion of urinary nitrogen and a concomitent decrease in blood urea nitrogen. It is concluded that water washing of neem seed kernel cake, whose potential availability in India alone is about 0·9 Mt annually, can convert this cake, hitherto going waste, into an excellent high protein animal food and can be used for feeding milch animals without any adverse effect. It is recommended that this technology be adopted by all neem seed-cake producing countries, specially those developing countries having chronic shortage of foods and fodders for animal feeding.