Conch Shell (Turbinella pyrum) Powder: A Potential Marine Biological Source of Calcium and Some Trace Minerals for Growing Crossbred Calves.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding conch shell (Turbinella pyrum) powder (either fresh or calcined) as a marine organic source of calcium (Ca) supplemented in the diet of crossbred calves on voluntary intake, growth performance, and blood biochemistry in growing crossbred Jersey calves. A growth trial of 90 days was conducted on 15 Jersey crossbred female calves (Av. weight, 70.68 ± 2.90 kg; Av. age, 197.73 ± 12.40 days), equally divided into three groups of 5 animals each, i.e., control (T₀), treatment 1 (T₁), and treatment 2 (T₂). All animals were fed total mixed ration (TMR) prepared with a concentrate mixture, chaffed paddy straw, and green fodder at the ratio of 40:30:30 on DM basis. Calves under the control group were fed with TMR containing a standard mineral mixture having dicalcium phosphate (DCP) as a Ca source. Calves under T₁ group were supplemented with TMR containing fresh conch shell powder (FCSP), and T₂ calves were fed with TMR containing conch shell calcined powder (CSCP) as Ca source. We observed 11.66% increase (p < 0.01) in Ca concentration in CSCP compared to FCSP. The concentration of minerals like Mg, Co, Mn, and Fe was enhanced in CSCP compared to the FCSP. However, the calcination process of fresh conch shell powder (FCSP) reduced the concentration of Cu, and Zn. The Ca/P ratio was estimated as 2.11, 2.06, and 2.10 in T₀, T₁, and T₂ diets, which could be considered ideal for calf ration. Calves under T₁, and T₂ groups consumed significantly (p < 0.001) greater amounts (g/kg W^0.75) of DM and CP compared to T₀. However, increased voluntary intake did not translate into increased body weight gain (kg), and feed conversion ratio (kg DMI/kg gain) in T₁ and T₂ groups in comparison to T₀. We observed similar blood glucose, urea, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) concentration among the three treatments. Ca, and P levels in blood plasma were also identical among the three groups. The digestibility of Ca was increased significantly (p = 0.01) in FCSP (T₁)- and CSCP (T₂)-treated calves compared to control (T₀) calves. Similarly, T₁ and T₂ enhanced P digestibility compared to T₀. This first report with short-term experimentation depicted some promising scope for the use of locally available conch shell powder (fresh or calcined form) as a potential source of Ca for feeding to livestock, because these new sources of Ca did not affect intake, digestibility of Ca and P, growth performance, blood chemistry, and liver enzymes negatively in weaned crossbred calves.