Twenty male of buffalo-calves weighing 216 kg:!: 1.5 kg on average and
aged one year were used in 208 days ( feeding trials ).Animals were divided into four
groups (5 calves each) G1,G2,G3 and G₄ ,respectively to study the effect of different
levels of Zinc supplementation on animal performance, nutrient digestibility, some
blood parameters, carcass characteristic and feed efficiency. Calves were individually
fed on rations consisted of concentrate feed mixture and rice straw, provided with 1 %
urea and zinc sulfate (ZnS04) at different levels being 0,40,80 and 120 mg/kg DM
        intake, respectively.                                                                                                               .
Results showed that digestibility of DM, OM, CP, CF, EE and NFE, nutritive
values (as TDN ), daily gain, feed conversion (as kg DM, kg TDN, kg DCP/kg gain)
and eye muscle area (cm²) were significantly increased by increasing zinc
supplementation levels. Supplementing 40 mg IKg DM intake (DMI) of zinc to
concentrate feed mixture (G2) was significantly increased levels of total protein,
albumin, globulin and Zn in plasma and decreased plasma urea concentration of
buffalo-calves. It also significantly decreased weight of different organs and kidney
fat . Moreover economic efficiency was higher and feed cost /kg gain was decreased
by adding zinc in concentrate feed mixture compared with control.
Generally, addition of zinc improved nutrients digestibility, daily gain, feed
conversion and economic efficiency and did not affect carcass characteristics.