Dairy concentrate feed mix

Concentrate, locally called dana, is the energy- and protein-dense portion of a dairy ration, fed in addition to roughage to meet the production requirements of high-yielding cows and buffaloes. It is supplied either as a compounded pellet from feed mills or mixed on the farm from a few bulk ingredients.

Composition

A typical on-farm concentrate mix is built from oilseed cakes (cottonseed, groundnut or soybean cake), grain (maize meal, broken rice or sorghum), grain by-products (wheat bran, rice bran or deoiled cake), a mineral mixture and common salt. Recommended target composition from ICAR-NDRI and NDDB nutrition advisories sits at 16-20% crude protein in the concentrate, balanced for calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals.

Mode of action

Concentrates supply readily fermentable carbohydrates that drive rumen microbial protein synthesis and bypass protein that supports lactation. Above maintenance, the convention is to feed roughly 1 kg of concentrate for every 2-2.5 kg of milk produced. Bypass-protein supplements (formaldehyde-treated cakes) raise the proportion of dietary protein that escapes rumen degradation and are commonly added in high-yielding herds.

Target use and dose

Concentrate is fed twice a day at milking, often soaked in water for 1-2 hours to improve palatability. The total daily quantity is calibrated to yield: a 15-litre crossbred cow (Holstein Friesian Crossbred Cow, Jersey Crossbred Cow) typically receives 6-8 kg of concentrate, in addition to 25-40 kg of green fodder (Bullet Napier And Hybrids, Super Napier Fodder, Maize Fodder) and 5-7 kg of dry roughage. Buffaloes such as Murrah Buffalo receive slightly higher concentrate per litre because of higher milk fat. Native breeds such as Sahiwal Cow are leaner consumers under lower production targets.

Safety and regulatory status

The Bureau of Indian Standards specifies compounded cattle feed under IS:2052, with Grade I and Grade II carrying minimum crude-protein and maximum crude-fibre limits along with aflatoxin caps. Imbalance — overfeeding grain relative to roughage — leads to subacute ruminal acidosis, fall in milk-fat percentage and laminitis; mixing in legume fodders such as hedge lucerne (Hedge Lucerne Velimasal) and respecting fibre minimums keep the rumen healthy. Fat-and-SNF-based procurement (Milk Fat Snf Pricing) rewards balanced concentrate feeding rather than maximisation of litres alone.

References

Dairy Cattle Nutrition. TNAU Agritech Portal.