No differences were found among the groups with respect to growth, feed efficiency, or incidence of diarrhea or respiratory infection treatment. Body weight was measured using a digital scale at arrival and at 14, 49, 56, and 78 d after arrival. Fecal scores, treatments administered (antibiotic or supportive therapy), and mortalities were recorded daily. Calves were individually housed until weaned and then housed in groups of 5 in a mechanically ventilated facility in southwestern Ontario, Canada. All calves were gradually weaned over a 2-wk period. No prophylactic administration of antibiotics occurred. Calves were offered texturized calf starter (18% CP) upon arrival until wk 3 and transitioned to a corn and pellet ration with 2% straw (18.1% CP). All milk replacers were formulated to contain 26% CP and 17% fat, 2.4% Lys, and 0.8% Met, and were bucket-fed at daily feeding rates of 520 g during wk 1 and 2, 650 g during wk 3, and 900 g during wk 4 and 5, in a total of 4, 5, and 6 L of solution, respectively. Male Holstein calves (n = 158) transported from auction barns and local dairy farms were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 decoquinate-containing CMR for the first 49 d of the experiment: all milk protein and no additives (CONT) 15% of crude protein (CP) replaced with spray-dried porcine plasma, no additives (PLM) or all milk protein and an added combination of sodium butyrate (rate 1.4 kg of butyric acid/Mt) and Bacillus subtilis (1.28 million cfu/g of feed BB).
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating 2 commonly used additives or spray-dried porcine plasma in calf milk replacer (CMR) on calf performance and health.
0 kommentar(er)
