Effects of Physical Form of a Starter for Dairy Replacement Calves on Feed Intake and Performance
- 1 June 2007
- journal article
- Published by American Dairy Science Association in Journal of Dairy Science
- Vol. 90 (6), 3028-3033
- https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-761
Abstract
One hundred six female Holstein calves [body weight (BW) = 41.5 +/- 0.37 kg and 11.2 +/- 0.3 d old] were used to evaluate the effects of physical form of a starter on animal performance and starter intake. Calves were randomly allocated to 2 treatments consisting of either a multiparticle or a pelleted starter. Both starters had exactly the same ingredient and nutrient composition but differed in their physical form. Calves received 4 L/d of the same milk replacer at a 150 g/kg dilution rate in 2 offers of 2 L each until they consumed an average of 300 g/d of starter (as fed) for 2 consecutive days; then the dilution rate was decreased to 120 g/kg until the age of 49 d when milk replacer was limited to 1 daily dose of 2 L until 57 d of age. Calves were kept in individual hutches for at least 1 wk after weaning. Body weight was measured at the beginning of the study and at 49 and 64 d of age. The median perimeters for the multiparticle and pelleted starters were 0.61 +/- 0.016 and 2.71 +/- 0.082 cm, respectively. Overall starter consumption was greater in calves receiving the multiparticle starter (944.8 +/- 30.01 g/d) than in those receiving the pelleted starter (863.9 +/- 32.04 g/d). There were no differences in the total milk replacer intake between the 2 treatments. Calf BW when leaving the individual hutches at the end of the study was similar between both treatments. Consequently, feed conversion efficiency was greater in calves consuming the pelleted than the multiparticle starter up to 64 d of age, mainly due to the greater conversion efficiency obtained with the pelleted than with the multiparticle starter after the preweaning period. It is concluded that pelleted starters may result in lower dry feed consumption compared with multiparticle starters, but because final BW was similar in both treatments, feed efficiency of calves consuming pelleted starters may be greater than that of calves consuming multiparticle starters. Therefore, when feeding a starter with similar nutrient composition to the one used in this study, there seems to be an economic advantage associated with feeding the starter in a pelleted form compared with a multiparticle form.Keywords
Funding Information
- Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism
- Trade through the CDTI
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of Various Levels of Forage and Form of Diet on Rumen Development and Growth in CalvesJournal of Dairy Science, 2004
- Health and Performance of Holstein Calves that Suckled or Were Hand-Fed Colostrum and Were Fed One of Three Physical Forms of StarterJournal of Dairy Science, 2003
- Relative Efficiencies of Wither Height and Body Weight Increase from Birth Until First Calving in Holstein CattleJournal of Dairy Science, 1998
- Methods for Dietary Fiber, Neutral Detergent Fiber, and Nonstarch Polysaccharides in Relation to Animal NutritionJournal of Dairy Science, 1991