Influence of Wheat Bran, Maize Bran and Soya Hulls Supplementation on Milk Yield, Composition and Physiological Responses in Cholistani Cattle

Feed scarcity and rising concentrate prices challenge dairy productivity and profitability in Pakistan. This study evaluated the use of economical agro-industrial by-products wheat bran, maize bran, and soya hulls as partial replacements for conventional concentrate ingredients in Cholistani cattle diets. Eighteen lactating cows were randomly assigned to three treatments: WB25 (25% wheat bran), MB25 (25% maize bran), and SH25 (25% soya hulls). The experiment lasted 90 days, including a 15-day adaptation period and 75-day data collection phase. Animals were individually fed a basal diet of Berseem and wheat straw along with assigned concentrates. Milk yield was recorded daily, while milk composition and blood metabolic profile were analyzed at the start and end of the trial. Results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) among treatments in milk yield, dry matter intake, or milk components including fat, SNF, protein, lactose, and pH. Similarly, hematological attributes (WBC, RBC, Hb, HCT, MCV, MCHC, platelets) and blood metabolites (glucose, ALT, AST, creatinine, uric acid, BUN) remained within normal physiological ranges in all groups. These findings demonstrate that replacing 25% of commercial concentrate with wheat bran, maize bran, or soya hulls does not impair production performance or animal health in Cholistani cows. Incorporating such by-products offers a cost-effective and sustainable feeding strategy for dairy farmers in resource-limited environments. This study showed that including 25% wheat bran, maize bran, or soya hulls in the concentrate portion of Cholistani cattle diets had no negative effect on milk yield, milk composition, dry matter intake, or blood health indicators. These agro-industrial by-products proved to be safe, economical, and nutritionally suitable alternatives for reducing feeding costs without compromising performance. Keywords: Cholistani cattle; wheat bran; maize bran; soya hulls; milk yield; milk composition.