EVALUATION OF APPLE-POMACE IN THE FEED OF CROSSBRED CALVES

If apple pomace could find a place in animal feeding, it would not only reduce the cost of feeding but also create an outlet for the use of this waste material abundantly available in Himachal Pradesh. Apple pomace was incorporated in the rations of Red Sindhi X Jersey, cross-bred calves to the extent of replacing one third (T1), two thirds (T2) and all (T3) of the maize. T0 calves received the standard ration which contained 35% maize grain in the concentrate, as a control. The performance of calves group T1 was not inferior to those of the control. However, as the level of apple pomace in the concentrate (T2 and T3), increased from 23% to 35% the average daily body weight gain of calves decreased. Namely in groups T0 to T3, they were 423, 384, 339 and 229 g, respectively. Crude protein and crude fibre digestibility were higher in the calves fed the control and 12% apple pomace diets. The diggestibility of nitrogen free extract was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in group T1 than in the other groups. Nitrogen balances were positive in all groups and significantly higher in T0 and T1 than in either T2 or T3. The findings indicated that substitution of one third of the maize by apple pomace would make the feed cheaper.