Growth Performance of Jersey Calves fed Maize Stover Silage based Total Mixed Ration compared to Calves fed Hay and Concentrate Separately

The study was conducted in 2019 at Ada’abrega sub-centre of Holetta Agricultural Research. A total of eighteen posts weaned female Jersey calves (weighing, 72 ± 1.33 kg, mean ± SE) were selected and randomly assigned in two sample T-test each having nine calves. The treatments were control diet consisting of natural pasture hay (50%) basal diet and concentrate mixture (50%) separately (T1) and dual purpose green maize stover silage (50%) and concentrate mixture (50%) based total mixed ration (TMR) (T2). The experiment took 180 days of feeding trial and 7 days of a digestibility trial. The daily dry matter intake of calves fed T2 (5.41 kg) was higher (p<0.05) than those calves receiving T1 (4.64 kg). Daily nutrient intake of calves receiving the intervention diet (T2) followed a similar trend as for DM intake. Feed digestibility was significantly affected (p<0.05) by diets and calves fed T2 showed higher (p<0.05) apparent dry matter digestibility than calves fed T1 diets. A feed conversion ratio of the calves was not affected (p>0.05) by diets but the average daily weight gain of calves in the T2 group (530g) was higher (p<0.05) than those calves in a group (450g). In conclusion, the growth performance of calves fed the dual purpose green maize stover silage based total mixed ration diet was superior to calves fed natural pasture hay and concentrate mixture following the conventional feeding practice. A follow up research is needed to investigate comparative advantages of using maize crop for dual purposes (food & feed) than as a food for human alone considering both biological responses and economic returns that arise thereof.