Effect of supplementation of fodder cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) on growth performance of growing calves

Introduction

Livestock production plays an important role in the agricultural economy and contributes significantly to the livelihood of rural households. Adequate availability of quality feed and fodder is essential for maintaining livestock productivity. However, shortage of green fodder, particularly during dry and summer seasons, is a major constraint in many regions. The problem is more severe in dry and semi-arid areas where rainfall is uncertain and water resources are limited. Therefore, the use of drought-tolerant forage resources that can provide moisture and nutrients during periods of fodder scarcity is important for sustainable livestock production. Fodder cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) is a drought-tolerant forage crop with considerable potential for livestock feeding in water-limited regions. It contains high moisture content along with readily available carbohydrates and minerals and can remain available when conventional green fodder is scarce. Thakuria et al. (2020) [8] reported that spineless cactus could serve as an alternative forage because of its adaptability to dry conditions and high moisture content. Kumar et al. (2021) [4] also reported the potential of cactus pear as an alternative forage resource in semi-arid regions of India. Further, Shruthilaya et al. (2022) [7] observed that inclusion of spineless cactus in diets of growing Nellore lambs did not adversely affect growth performance, while Raut et al. (2025) [6] reported favourable effects on feed consumption and growth performance of crossbred heifers supplemented with forage cactus. Growing calves require sufficient nutrients for proper body development and efficient weight gain. Feed intake is an important factor influencing nutrient availability, while body weight and body measurements are useful indicators of growth performance. Considering the potential of fodder cactus as an alternative supplementary forage, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of graded supplementation of fodder cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) on feed intake and growth performance of growing calves.

Materials and Methods

Experimental Site

The experiment was conducted at the Livestock Instructional Farm, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Science, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra. The feeding experiment was conducted for 90 days.

Experimental Animals and Design

Twenty healthy indigenous growing calves of nearly similar body weight were selected for the experiment. The calves were divided into four treatment groups containing five calves in each group. The animals were randomly allotted to the treatments following a Randomized Block Design. The average initial body weight of calves in T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄ was 52.46, 52.56, 53.30 and 54.02 kg, respectively.

Experimental Treatments

The dietary treatments were as follows

Measurement of Growth Performance

Body weight of each calf was recorded at the beginning and end of the experiment. The total body weight gain was calculated as the difference between final and initial body weight. Average daily gain was calculated by dividing total body weight gain by the number of experimental days.

The following body measurements were recorded:  Body length  Chest girth  Body height

Statistical Analysis

The experimental data were statistically analysed using the Randomized Block Design. Treatment means were compared using the appropriate critical difference at the 5 per cent level of significance following the methods described by Amble (1975) [1] .

Result and Discussion

Effect of fodder Cactus Supplementation on Body Weight

The effect of different levels of fodder cactus supplementation on body weight of growing calves is presented in Table 2. [5] and Kumar et al. (2017) [3] , who reported differences in body weight gain and average daily gain among calves receiving different dietary treatments. Overall, supplementation of 300 g fodder cactus/calf/day (T₃) resulted in the highest body weight gain and average daily gain.

Effect of Fodder Cactus Supplementation on Body Length

The average body length of calves under different treatments is presented in Table 3. [6] , who observed significant differences in final body length and body length gain in crossbred heifers fed different levels of forage cactus. The present findings suggest that fodder cactus supplementation can contribute to improved body length development in growing calves.

Effect of fodder cactus supplementation on chest girth

The effect of fodder cactus supplementation on chest girth is presented in Table 4. [6] , who observed significant differences in chest girth gain among heifers fed different levels of forage cactus. The present results therefore suggest that fodder cactus supplementation can contribute to better body development in growing calves.

Effect of Fodder Cactus Supplementation on Body Height

The effect of different levels of fodder cactus on body height is presented in Table 5. [6] , who observed improved body height gain in heifers supplemented with forage cactus. The present results suggest that fodder cactus can contribute positively to the physical development of growing calves.

Overall Discussion

The present study showed that fodder cactus supplementation had a positive effect on the growth and body development of growing calves. The highest body weight gain and average daily gain were recorded in T₃ (300 g fodder cactus/calf/day), where total body weight gain increased from 24.30 kg in the control group to 28.35 kg. This improvement may be due to the nutrients and high moisture content of fodder cactus, which may have helped improve feed utilization and support growth. Thakuria et al. (2020) [8] also reported that Opuntia ficus indica can be used as an alternative forage, particularly during dry periods and fodder shortages. The body measurements showed a better response at the higher supplementation level. The highest gains in body length, chest girth and body height were recorded in T₄ (400 g fodder cactus/calf/day). Similar improvements in body measurements were reported by Raut et al. (2025) [6] , while Moshidi et al. (2025) [5] observed positive effects of prickly pear supplementation on growth performance and average daily gain in dairy calves. Overall, 300 g fodder cactus/calf/day was more favourable for body weight gain, whereas 400 g/calf/day resulted in greater gains in body measurements.

Conclusion

The present study showed that supplementation of fodder cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) improved the growth performance and body development of growing calves. Calves receiving 300 g fodder cactus/calf/day (T₃) recorded the highest total body weight gain (28.35 kg/calf) and average daily gain (0.315 kg/day). However, the highest gains in body length (10.02 cm), chest girth (10.06 cm) and body height (9.85 cm) were observed in calves supplemented with 400 g/calf/day (T₄). Overall, the results indicate that fodder cactus can be used as a supplementary feed for growing calves.

Under the conditions of the present study, 300 g fodder cactus/calf/day was the most suitable level for improving body weight gain and growth performance.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementNot available

References

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