Weight-gain and economic performance of Borgu bull calves supplemented with Vitanimal in Benin

Abstract

In order for animals to improve their production potential, especially during the dry season when fodder becomes scarce and of poor quality, feed supplements are increasingly made available to them. The effect of Vitanimal, an industrially made feed, mixture of husks and cotton cake, was tested on 15 Borgu bull calves at the Okpara Breeding Farm in order to measure its impact on their growth. The cattle were divided into three groups of five bulls each with an average weight of 103 kg ± 22 kg. They were fed the test feed in equal parts before and after grazing. Group 1 was the unsupplemented control, groups 2 and 3 received 1 and 2 kg per day of Vitanimal feed supplementation, respectively. Refusals were quantified. The animals were also given water and salt blocks ad libitum. Calves were weighed every other week for 90 days. Analyses highlighted a significant difference (p < 0.05) between groups 2 and 3 in the tested feed intake. The results showed a significant effect of Vitanimal on the growth of the calves. The average daily gains in the control group, in group 2 and in group 3 were 386 ± 147 g, 652 ± 115 g and 927 ± 160 g, respectively. The impact of Vitanimal depended thus on the amount fed, and the group 3 diet was more cost-effective, with a 238% return on investment, than group 2 (232%).