Water-washed neem (<i>Azadirachta indica</i>juss) seed kernel cake as a cattle feed

Abstract

SUMMARY Neem ( Azadirachta indica juss) seed kernel cake was water treated and dried in the sun. It was palatable to cattle, despite its bitter smell. Twelve growing calves were divided into two equal groups; one group (control) had a standard concentrate mixture consisting of crushed maize 30 parts, groundnut cake 30 parts, wheat bran 38 parts and in the second group (experimental) the concentrate mixture had crushed maize 30 parts, neem seed kernel cake (water washed) 45 parts and wheat bran 23 parts. Both the mixtures had common salt and mineral mixture 1 part each. The roughage fed was the same in both groups. The mean growth rate of calves in 273 days was 403 g/day in the control group and 344 g/day in the experimental group which did not differ significantly ( P &gt; 0·05). The dry-matter intake, digestibilities of all the organic nutrients, total digestible nutrient values and the balances of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus remained similar ( P &gt; 0·05) in the two groups. The blood haemoglobin, serum inorganic phosphorus and the activity of serum alkaline phosphatase, serum acid phosphatase, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase also did not differ significantly ( P &gt; 0·05) in the two groups. It is concluded that water washing of neem seed kernel cake very largely removes toxic principles responsible for retardation in growth.