Assessment of Feeding Practices Followed by Dairy Buffaloes Owners in Bhavnagar District of Gujarat State

Abstract

A field survey was conducted between March and May 2025 in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat state to assess the feeding practices followed by dairy buffalo farmers. Using a multistage random sampling technique, six talukas (Talaja, Sihor, Palitana, Bhavnagar, Mahuva, and Umrala) were selected, with two villages from each taluka and ten respondents per village owning buffaloes yielding ≥8 kg milk/day. Data on 153 buffaloes from 120 farmers were collected through structured interviews and analysed. All farmers (100%) adopted stall-feeding, with none relying on grazing. A majority (77.50%) fed a combination of concentrate, green fodder, and dry fodder, while 21.67% used concentrate and dry fodder only, and 0.83% used concentrate with green fodder. Most farmers (92.50%) fed concentrates twice daily, primarily in dry form (61.67%), with 38.33% soaking before feeding. Roughage processing was rare, with only 7.50% and 4.17% practicing chaffing green and dry fodder, respectively, before feeding. Mineral supplementation was minimal (11.67%). Water was provided ad libitum, though frequency varied. Concentrate feeding during the dry period was reported by limited farmers (22.50%), while 72.50% offered pregnancy allowances and 74.17% provided extra feed and supplements to buffaloes post-calving. Identified gaps in the existing feeding practices were addressed with suitable recommendations.