Question

The dry matter requirement of a cow weighing 400 kg would be

• A. 10 kg
• B. 5 kg
• C. 15 kg
• D. 20 kg

Hint:

To quickly estimate feed requirements, use the standard rule of thumb: Zebu/Local Cattle require about \(2.0\%\) to \(2.5\%\) of their body weight as Dry Matter daily. Crossbred/Exotic Cattle require \(3.0\%\) to \(3.5\%\) of their body weight.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Dry Matter Intake (DMI) is the total amount of feed consumed by an animal, excluding its moisture content.
It is typically calculated as a percentage of the animal's live body weight based on its physiological state.
Key Formula or Approach:
For a standard adult dairy cow at maintenance or low production, the daily dry matter requirement is approximately \(2.0\%\) to \(2.5\%\) of its body weight.
\[ \text{Dry Matter Requirement} = \text{Body Weight} \times \text{DMI percentage} \]

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us calculate the dry matter requirement for a cow weighing \(400\text{ kg}\) using the standard maintenance requirement of \(2.5\%\) of body weight:
\[ \text{Dry Matter Intake} = 400\text{ kg} \times \frac{2.5}{100} = 10\text{ kg} \]
If the cow is lactating or high-producing, the DMI requirement can increase to \(3.0\%\) or \(3.5\%\) of its body weight (yielding \(12\text{ kg}\) to \(14\text{ kg}\)).
However, under standard feeding standards (such as ICAR or NRC maintenance guidelines), a \(2.5\%\) dry matter intake is the baseline value.
Therefore, \(10\text{ kg}\) is the correct representative dry matter requirement for a \(400\text{ kg}\) cow.
Values like \(5\text{ kg}\) are too low (starvation levels), while \(15\text{ kg}\) or \(20\text{ kg}\) are too high for a standard \(400\text{ kg}\) cow.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The daily dry matter requirement of a \(400\text{ kg}\) cow is 10 kg.