PERFORMANCE OF DAIRY-COWS FED CONCENTRATE MIXTURES CONTAINING VARYINGLEVELS OF MAHUA (MADHUCA-INDICA J F GMEL) SEED-CAKE AS UNCONVENTIONALFEED SOURCE

Feeding experiment of 7 months duration was conducted on 18 lactating cows (Kankrej and Jersey x Kankrej) in 3 groups fed concentrate mixtur es containing 0 (T-1), 10 (T-2) and 20% (T-3) level of mahua seedcake. 'NB 21' green fodder (5 kg) was given to each cow to meet vitamin A r equirement. Pearlmillet (Pennisetum typhoides) straw and mature pastur e grass (ad lib.) formed the basal fodder. Sen et al. (1978) feeding s tandards were followed for providing nutritional requirements of lacta ting cows. Mahua seed-cake had 18.34% CP, 8.16% EE, 1.04% CF, 66.43% N FE, 6.03% ash, 1.20% silica, 0.37% P and 0.25% Ca on DM basis. Inclusi on of mahua seed-cake in concentrate mixtures of lactating cows did no t adversely affect the dry-matter intake, nutrients intake, digestibil ities of nutrients, balances of N,P and Ca, milk production, milk comp osition and economics of feeding. Rumen pH (P<0.05) was significantly higher in T-3 groups. Concentrations of rumen total-N (P<0.05), ammoni a and non-protein-N (P<0.01) were significantly lower in T-3. Overall results indicated that unprocessed mahua seed-cake can be fed at 20% l evel in the concentrate mixtures of lactating cows without adversely a ffecting the milk production, composition and nutrients utilization. T hus, mahua seed-cake will be a future source of new cattle feed ingred ient for compounding concentrate mixtures at 20% level with economic a dvantages.