Mustard Cake (Sarson Khal) — Old Favourite, Used Right

Ask any older farmer what they fed their best cow and mustard cake — sarson khal — will be in the answer. This traditional oilseed cake remains a genuinely useful protein feed. But like most strong feeds, its value depends on using it in the right amount, the right way.

What khal actually is

When mustard seed is pressed for oil, the leftover cake keeps most of the seed's protein. That makes khal one of the concentrated protein sources traditionally available to farmers — useful for milking animals whose fodder-based diet runs short on protein.

Using it well

• Moderation is the rule. Khal is a component, not a diet. Traditional practice keeps it to a modest daily amount — commonly up to around a kilogram or so for an adult milking animal, fed split, not in one lump. More is not better: mustard cake's pungent compounds make very heavy feeding unwise.
• Soak before feeding. Soaking khal for some hours softens it, improves acceptance and digestion, and is the traditional preparation for good reason. Feed the soak water and cake together the same day — a soaked mash left standing in warm weather sours.
• Never feed mouldy khal. Oilcakes absorb moisture and spoil; a musty smell or visible mould means it goes to the compost pit, not the trough. Store it dry, off the floor, and buy quantities you'll use within weeks.
• Not for young calves. Keep mustard cake out of calf diets — their systems handle it poorly. Calves have their own starter feeds designed for them.

Khal versus compound feed

Here's the honest comparison: khal supplies protein, but protein alone isn't a ration. A milking cow also needs energy, minerals and vitamins in balance — which is exactly what a formulated compound feed provides in one bag. The practical sweet spot for many farmers: compound feed as the measured base of the ration, with modest khal as a traditional top-up where it's affordable and fresh — rather than khal alone carrying the whole load and leaving energy and minerals short.

Tradition got a lot right. Balance finishes the job.

For a full ration plan around what you already feed, call or WhatsApp Falah Enterprises, Authorized GOKA Feeds Distributor, Anantnag.