Nutritional Evaluation of Ensiled Baby Corn Fodder as Livestock Feed

This study was taken up to assess the conservation method and nutritional value of ensiled baby corn fodder in comparison to conventional ensiled maize fodder variety J-1006. Both the fodders procured from university farm were wilted in the field after harvesting; chaffed and ensiled in low density poly ethylene tube of 15 ft length and 6 ft diameter for 42d. The ensiled fodders were evaluated as such; as well as in total mixed rations (TMRs) containing 60: 40 roughage to concentrate ratio on DM basis by in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) and in vivo feeding trial on male buffalo calves. The chemical composition, net gas production, digestibility of nutrients, VFA production and methane production potential of ensiled maize fodder (J-1006) were statistically comparable, with ensiled BC fodder; TMR containing ensiled maize fodder (J-1006) with TMR containing ensiled BC fodder. The feeding trial on buffalo calves revealed that digestibility of nutrients in animals fed TMR containing ensiled BC fodder was comparable with ensiled maize fodder. The blood profile and nitrogen utilization was also similar in both the groups. It was concluded that nutrients from ensiled baby corn fodder could be utilized as efficiently as from conventional ensiled maize fodder by buffalo calves. Further besides getting handsome amount by selling baby corn cobs for human consumption, the dairy farmers can get additional income by feeding ensiled baby corn fodder to dairy cattle.