EVALUATING EGGSHELL POWDER AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE FOR HYPOCALCEMIA IN DAIRY COWS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out how well eggshell powder (ESP) works in pregnant dairy cows to improve colostrum calcium levels and prevent hypocalcemia. The Gomal University D I Khan animal ethics committee approved the methods used in this experiment, which involved fifteen pregnant cows and was carried out at the Government Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm in Harrichand, KPK. The test cows were split into three groups: Group E, which received 9g of eggshell powder per 100g of feed; Group D, which received dicalcium phosphate (DCP); and Group C, which received no supplementation at all. The trial focused on serum blood calcium levels parameter, and it took place in the last month of parturition. The findings showed that Group E had significantly higher calcium levels (2 mg/dl) and about 15% improvement in blood calcium throughout the course of the trial period in comparison to the other groups. The cows in Group E showed a noteworthy daily consumption of 300g of ESP, whereas the commercial group ingested 300g of DCP, which was different from the control group's typical feed intake.