Quality Evaluation of Some Animal Feedstuffs Available in Haryana Singh Ram*, Kundu S.S.1 Division of Dairy Cattle Nutrition National Dairy Research Institute Karnal-132 001, India. *Reprint request: Dr. Ram Singh, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Regional Research Centre, Palampur-176 062, India; Tel: +91-1894-233676; Fax: +91-1894-233063.
1Present address: Plant Animal Relationship Division, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284 003, India. Abstract Supplies of concentrate feed ingredients were collected from four different sources, pooled and analysed in triplicate for proximate principles and cell wall constituents to standardise their chemical characteristics. The chemical composition was compared with available BIS specifications and it was found that most of the feed ingredients’ values exhibited fulfilling BIS requirements. Twenty samples of each, compound cattle feed, poultry mash, fish meal and molasses were also collected and evaluated for the presence of adulterants. In case of molasses, most of the sample Brix values were quite close to the BIS requirements. 35 per cent of the fish meal samples were found containing salt content above the specified limits. Most of the poultry mash feeds were found containing salt within the BIS specified limits. In the case of compound cattle feed, 10 per cent of the samples fulfilled the BIS specifications in terms of CP for cattle feed type 1 and 20 per cent of the samples fulfilled the BIS requirements for cattle feed type 2, 70 per cent of the cattle feed samples failed to fulfill BIS specifications. The study revealed widespread adulteration in cattle feeds in the market with rice husk as the major adulterant. Top Key words Animal feeds, BIS specifications, Adulterant, Chemical composition. Top |