Volume: 57 Issue: 2
Year: 2026, Page: 353-358, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2026.57.2.353-358
Received: Dec. 3, 2025 Accepted: Dec. 22, 2025 Published: June 30, 2026
This study investigated the effects of varying dietary neutral detergent fibre (NDF) to starch ratios on body weight, body condition score and blood biochemical parameters in early lactating crossbred dairy cows. Eighteen healthy crossbred cows within 10 days post-calving were randomly allocated to three dietary treatment groups (n=6) in a completely randomised design for 90 days. The experimental concentrate mixtures were isonitrogenous (22% crude protein) and isocaloric (70% total digestible nutrients), differing only in NDF to starch ratios: T1 (control, 1.58), T2 (2.08, 25% higher than control), and T3 (1.17, 25% lower than control). All groups were fed a 70:30 concentrate to roughage ratio using paddy straw as roughage. Body weight and body condition scores were recorded fortnightly and monthly, respectively. Blood samples were collected at the end of the trial to assess serum glucose, total protein, blood urea nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus concentrations. Results showed no significant differences in body weight amongst treatment groups throughout the study period (P>0.05), with final mean values of 415.33±16.65, 387.67±16.34 and 418.00±19.10 kg for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Body condition scores remained within the optimal range (2.87-3.23) with no between-treatment differences (P>0.05), although T3 showed significant improvement over time (3.08 to 3.20; P=0.008). Blood biochemical parameters including glucose (59.48-67.84 mg/dL), total protein (7.78-8.15 g/dL), blood urea nitrogen (26.39-29.14 mg/dL), calcium (8.78-8.94 mg/dL) and phosphorus (6.09-7.16 mg/dL) remained within normal physiological ranges with no significant differences amongst treatments. The study concluded that varying NDF to starch ratios within the tested range (1.17-2.08) did not adversely affect body weight maintenance or blood metabolite profiles, while the low NDF: starch ratio (1.17) improved body condition during early lactation in crossbred cows.
Keywords: Neutral detergent fibre, starch ratio, body weight, body condition score, blood biochemistry, early lactation
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© 2026 Babu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Babu, L., Sahib, L., Ally, K, Purushothaman, S., Bunglavan, S.J. & Aslam, M.M.K (2026). Effects of dietary neutral detergent fibre to starch ratios on body weight, body condition score and blood biochemical parameters in early lactating crossbred cows. Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 57(2),353-358 https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2026.57.2.353-358