Periodic transfer of calcium concentration from forage plants and soil to small ruminants
2012
Ghafoor, A. (Government Coll. Univ., Faisalabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries) | Mahmood, A. (Nuclear Inst. of Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan)) | Qureshi, T.M. (Nuclear Inst. of Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan))
An experiment was conducted to determine the calcium status of male and female (lactating and non-lactating) grazing goats (Thalli breed) during summer and winter seasons at a private goat farm in Punjab, Pakistan. The samples of forage plants, soil, water, milk, blood, urine and fecal matter of animals were gathered fortnightly for two months of each season for the estimation of calcium. The highest amount of calcium in urine, blood plasma, milk and feces were 102 plus minus 4.56, 135 plus minus 4.98, 117 plus minus 5.0 mg L-1 and 280 plus minus 4.56 mg per kg, respectively. The maximum amounts of calcium 530 plus minus 0.21 and 124 plus minus 2.65 mg per kg was found in soil and forage samples while minimum amount 54 plus minus 0.54 mg L-1 in canal water. It was concluded that the available concentrations of calcium to animals through forage plants were in-sufficient to meet the dietary requirements of animals. It is therefore, an emergent need of calcium supplementation either through soil or in the feed of animals that will ultimately improve the animal health by minimizing metabolic disorders.
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