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Research Article

Effects of locally formulated complete feeds on nutrient utilization, growth performance, and feed margin of growing selenge cattle during winter feeding in mongolia
Shinekhuu Jugder1
,
Otgonjargal Ayushjav1*
,
Baljinnyam Bat-Ulzii1
,
Togtokhbayar Norovsambuu1
1School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17029, Mongolia
*Corresponding Author
30 September 2026. pp. 179-189
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Abstract

This study evaluated three locally formulated complete compound feeds (CF1–CF3) fed with cultivated green forage to growing Selenge cattle during winter feeding in Mongolia. Twenty-five approximately 18-month-old male cattle were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 5): pasture grazing (C1), conventional farm feeding (C2), and three experimental groups receiving 6 kg/day of green forage plus 3 kg/day of complete feed (E1–E3). After a 14-day adaptation period, the feeding trial lasted 60 days. Feed intake, apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility, body-weight change, and provisional feed margin were evaluated. Complete feeds contained 19.35–21.65% crude protein and 38.20–46.12% NDF, while green forage contained 14.33% crude protein and 63.18% NDF. Complete-feed intake reached 100%, and green-forage intake was 95.88–96.58% in E1–E3 and 91.05% in C2. Initial body weight did not differ among groups. E1 achieved the greatest final body weight (349.26 ± 0.96 kg), live-weight gain (66.19 ± 0.52 kg), and ADG (1.105 ± 0.011 kg/day). E1 also showed the highest apparent digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber. Using feed offered and an assigned value of 25,000 MNT/kg incremental live-weight gain, E1 produced the highest provisional feed margin (1,125,550 MNT/animal). These findings identify CF1 as the most promising of the tested formulations, while the pasture comparison should be interpreted cautiously because grazing and individual-feeding management were confounded.

Keywords
Complete feed
Nutrient digestibility
Selenge cattle
Winter feeding
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Information
  • Publisher :Journal of Humanimal Sciences
  • Publisher(Ko) :한경국립대학교 휴머니멀응용과학연구소
  • Journal Title :Journal of Humanimal Sciences
  • Journal Title(Ko) :휴머니멀과학학술지
  • Volume : 2
  • No :3
  • Pages :179-189
  • Received Date : 2026-08-13
  • Revised Date : 2026-09-08
  • Accepted Date : 2026-09-15
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.23341/jhas.2026.2.3.179
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