Performance and Some Blood Serum Constituents of Growing Buffalo Calves Fed Rations Containing Corn Silage

The study involved 20 growing male buffalo calves, divided into two groups, to assess the effects of a corn silage diet. The group fed only corn silage exhibited deficiencies in copper, zinc, selenium, and vitamin A, leading to symptoms such as weight loss, rough hair coat, alopecia, and other health issues. Blood tests confirmed significant reductions in these nutrients and indicated hypochromic microcytic anemia due to copper deficiency. Supplementing the diet with concentrate feed, copper methionate, vitamin A, and minerals successfully alleviated the clinical signs and improved blood parameters to normal levels, demonstrating that corn silage alone was not a balanced diet for the calves.