Effect of Vanadium Supplementation on Growth Performance of Murrah Buffalo Calves

The present study investigates the effect of vanadium supplementation on the growth performance of growing Murrah buffalo calves. A total of 21 calves (aged 6–12 months; average body weight 146.48 ± 5.24 kg) were randomly assigned to three dietary groups: control (V0, 0 mg vanadium/kg dry matter), V4 (4.0 mg/kg DM), and V6 (6.0 mg/kg DM). All animals were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) for a period of 90 days and key growth parameters body weight, average daily gain (ADG), feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded fortnightly. Results revealed that calves in the V4 and V6 groups exhibited significantly higher weight gain (P < 0.05) and improved feed efficiency, as indicated by better FCR values (V4: 10.63; V6: 9.88) compared to the control group (V0: 12.23). However, differences in overall body weight and feed intake among the groups were not statistically significant variation (P > 0.05). These findings demonstrate that vanadium supplementation at 4.0 and 6.0 mg/kg DM can effectively enhance growth efficiency in Murrah buffalo calves, highlighting its potential as a strategic nutritional intervention in buffalo production systems.