Milk Yield of Borgou Cows Improved with Lick Stones made in Benin

Feed is one of the main constraints affecting milk production and its economic return. The present study aimed to examine the efficiency of the supply of cows with feed supplements using locally available ingredients. Three lick stones were made and tested on 16 Borgou cows in the central part of Benin, West Africa. All test animals had similar initial milk yield, lactation number and body weight. They were divided into four groups of four animals and each group was randomly assigned to one type of dietary treatment. The experiment lasted 90 days. The cows were fed natural pasture, either supplemented or not supplemented with lick stones. Milking was performed twice a day. The cows were weighed weekly to evaluate the effect of supplementation and milking on their body weight. The intake from cows in the LS2 treatment group, which was fed stone rich in crude protein and molasses, was higher compared to the other groups during the dry season and higher than the intake of the treatment group fed with salt-poor stone during the experiment period. Cows in the LS2 treatment group produced much more milk during the dry season than the other treatment groups. Cows in the LS3 treatment group fed with stone low in salt produced much more milk from the fifth week to the end of the trial than the other treatment groups. Animals in the control group lost significant body weight. Thus, supplementation of lick stones based on local feedstuffs improved milk production, prevented body weight loss, and improved the economic return of Borgou cows in the dry season.