Impact of Nano Zinc Oxide (nZnO) Dietary Supplementation on Crossbred Calves Growth Performance

An investigation on the impact of supplementation with nano zinc oxide (nZnO) on crossbred calves' growth performance was carried out. Twenty Four numbers of crossbred calves (Jersey × Holstein Friesian) of 6-9 months age were randomly assigned to three groups containing 8 number of animals in each group- T0, T1 and T2. The T0, T1, and T2 groups, which received supplements containing inorganic ZnO @ 40mg/kg DM, Nano ZnO@ 10mg/kg DM and Nano ZnO @ 20mg/kg DM, respectively, in addition to the basic diet. The findings of the experiment confirm that the average daily gain (g/day) and body weight gain (kg) were significantly (P<0.01) greater in the T2 group, T1 group came in second, and the T0 group had the lowest gains. In terms of cost per kg weight gain (Rs) was lowest in T2 group. From the current study, it can be concluded that nano zinc can be supplemented in calf ration up to 20mg /kg DMI for their economic growth rate.