CATTLE FEEDING PRACTICES FOLLOWED BY FARMERS ADJACENT TO DHAKA CITY: CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE CATTLE NUTRITION

Abstract

The study was undertaken to explore the present cattle feeding practices followed by farmers adjacent to Dhaka city, to collect mixed concentrate feed for crude protein analysis and find out the challenges of cattle rearing in selected areas. A field survey was conducted to collect data from 50 farmers of Mohammadpur, Keranigonj and Sher-e-Bangla nagar in Dhaka district with a pretested survey questionnaire. The collected mixed concentrate feed samples were evaluated through crude protein analysis. Results showed that farmers used rice straw, different types of cultivated grass such as jumboo, napier, maize, kolmilota, panchun grass as roughage source and wheat bran, rice bran, broken rice, lentil bran, mugbean bran, blackgram bran, broken maize, chickpea bran, soyameal, soyabean bran, cow mixture standard, bipro cattle feed, jaker dairy mixed feed as concentrate source. Most of the farms were medium size farm (27). Number of cattle per small, medium and large scale farm were 4.5, 11.19 and 86.23 respectively. Milch cow per small, medium and large scale farm was 10, 167 and 741 respectively. Total cow was found in small ,medium and large scale farm in 18, 302 and 1639 respectively. Most of the farmers reared cross breed cattle (87.76%) and indigenous and cross breed reared only 9.69% and 2.55%. Average concentrated feed provided per dairy cow in small, medium and large scale farm was 4.9kg, 6.23kg and 8.30kg. Milk production liter/cow in small, medium and large scale farm was 10.3litre, 13.5litre and 15.4litre respectively. Green grass provided to cattle per day in small, medium and large scale farm was 8.33kg, 9.50kg and 9.64kg respectively. Straw provided to cattle per day in small, medium and large scale farm was 1.94kg, 1.72kg and 1.99kg respectively. The average price per kg of wheat bran in small, medium and large scale farm was TK. 50.5, 46.29, 44.75 respectively. Average price per kg of rice bran in small, medium and large scale farm was Tk.17.15, 16.88, 16.45 respectively. The average price per kg of lentil bran in per farm was Tk.28.67, 27.62 and 26.55 respectively. 70% Farm owner cultivated green grass. Farmers cultivated green grass such as jumboo, maize, napier, kolmilota, panchun and khesari. Most of the farmers cultivated jumboo grasses (54%). Chopper and cleaner machine used 72% farm owner. Milking machine used only 26%. Farmers got training only 8% and 92% farmers have no training facility. Average CP% in mixed concentrate feed in small, medium and large scale farm was 16.3, 18.2 and 19.6 respectively. Shortage of green grass showed from January to February 12%, from September to October 14% and there was no rest of the shortage 74% of the month of the year. 50 farm owner claimed higher price of feed as the key challenges and farmers suggested that reducing feed cost was the primary solution to overcome the challenges regarding cattle feeding.