Volume 16, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Res Anim Prod 2025, 16(4): 187-203 |
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Hosseinabadi M, Amozadeh Araee K, Ghoorchi T, Khadem G, Mirzadeh E, Doosti H. (2025). A Comparison of Using Different Probiotics on the Performance, Rumination Behavior, Blood Parameters, and Liver Enzymes of Suckling Holstein Calves. Res Anim Prod. 16(4), 187-203. doi:10.61882/rap.2025.1529
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1529-en.html
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1529-en.html
Mostafa Hosseinabadi *1 
, Kamel Amozadeh Araee1, Taghi Ghoorchi1, Ghasem Khadem1, Ehsan Mirzadeh2, Hamidreza Doosti2
, Kamel Amozadeh Araee1, Taghi Ghoorchi1, Ghasem Khadem1, Ehsan Mirzadeh2, Hamidreza Doosti2
1- Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2- Vivan co., mashhad, Iran
2- Vivan co., mashhad, Iran
Abstract: (1645 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Improved management and nutrition can lead to optimal growth and better feed efficiency and health in suckling calves. On the other hand, low growth rates can lead to low weaning weights and poor post-weaning growth, which cannot be compensated for by future feeding. The costs of rearing replacement heifers and the age at the first calving should be lower for a sustainable and profitable livestock operation. Feed additives are commonly used on the farm to improve the performance of young animals. Hence, the use of antibiotics has provided some of these benefits in calves for many years. However, the use of antibiotics in livestock production has become a sensitive issue due to reports of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Very limited studies have investigated the effects of yeast and bacteria in livestock. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the use of different probiotics on the performance, rumination behavior, blood parameters, and liver enzymes of suckling Holstein calves.
Methods: In this study, 36 Holstein female suckling calves, aged approximately 7±3 days and with an initial body weight of 44.7±2 kg, were used in six treatments and six replications in a completely randomized design for 45 days. The experimental treatments included. 1- a basal diet without additives (control), 2- a basal diet containing the Saccharomyces boulardii yeast, 3- a basal diet containing Bacillus subtilis, 4- a basal diet containing Lactobacillus, 5- a basal diet containing the S. boulardii yeast + Lactobacillus, and 6- an experimental diet containing the S. boulardii yeast + Lactobacillus + B. subtilis. Probiotics were mixed with milk consumption in the morning meal at a rate of 5 g per head and provided to the calves. During lactation, the calves were fed with two daily meals of milk (7 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon) at a rate of 15% of their body weight. The feed given and the remaining feed for each animal were weighed and recorded on each day. The calves were weighed on days 0, 21, and 42 of the study in a fasting state after 16 hours of starvation using a digital scale. The daily weight gain was calculated by dividing the difference in weight in a time period by the number of days in the same time period. The amount of dry matter intake, daily weight gain, weight at the end of the period, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were the other measured parameters. The FCR was also calculated by dividing the average amount of dry matter intake by each calf at the end of the period by the daily weight gain of the same animal in the entire period. On days 43 and 44 of the experimental period, feed consumption behavior was calculated by recording activity for 24 h. To measure blood parameters, blood was sampled (10 cc) from the jugular vein without using any anticoagulant on a fasting state on the last day of the experiment and quickly sent to the laboratory in a flask containing ice.
Results: Adding probiotics to calf milk improved the weight at 21 days of age and weight gain from 1 to 21 days of age (P < 0.05). Probiotic consumption caused a significant difference in final body weight and daily weight gain at the entire period (P < 0.05). Weight changes, dry matter intake of the entire period, FCR, and daily dry matter intake were improved by adding probiotics to calf milk (P < 0.05). At 21 days of age, there were no significant differences in body weight and daily weight gain among the groups receiving different probiotics, but the best performance in this parameter belonged to calves receiving B. subtilis. On the other hand, the final weight of the control group was lower than that of the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). However, calves receiving the S. boulardii yeast with Lactobacillus, S. boulardii + B. subtilis, and S. boulardii + Lactobacillus + B. subtilis did not differ significantly from each other. Nonetheless, the final weight of calves receiving B. subtilis was higher than that of the other groups (P < 0.05). Among the experimental groups, calves receiving B. subtilis and the control group showed the lowest (1.24) and the highest (1.35) FCR values, respectively (P < 0.05). Additionally, calves receiving B. subtilis spent more time for eating and ruminating (P < 0.05). Adding different probiotics to the milk of suckling calves did not significantly affect the concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, urea nitrogen, total protein, albumin, globulin, and the ratio of these two. Moreover, adding probiotics to the milk of suckling calves did not significantly affect their very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations. Calf milk supplementation with probiotics did not affect the concentrations of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine aminotransferase. Numerically, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was higher in the control group calves than in the other experimental groups, while the concentration of alkaline phosphatase was lower than in the other groups.
Conclusion: According to the results obtained in this study, the use of various probiotics improved the weight gain, dry matter intake, FCR, and overall performance of calves with no negative effects on the measured blood indices.
Methods: In this study, 36 Holstein female suckling calves, aged approximately 7±3 days and with an initial body weight of 44.7±2 kg, were used in six treatments and six replications in a completely randomized design for 45 days. The experimental treatments included. 1- a basal diet without additives (control), 2- a basal diet containing the Saccharomyces boulardii yeast, 3- a basal diet containing Bacillus subtilis, 4- a basal diet containing Lactobacillus, 5- a basal diet containing the S. boulardii yeast + Lactobacillus, and 6- an experimental diet containing the S. boulardii yeast + Lactobacillus + B. subtilis. Probiotics were mixed with milk consumption in the morning meal at a rate of 5 g per head and provided to the calves. During lactation, the calves were fed with two daily meals of milk (7 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon) at a rate of 15% of their body weight. The feed given and the remaining feed for each animal were weighed and recorded on each day. The calves were weighed on days 0, 21, and 42 of the study in a fasting state after 16 hours of starvation using a digital scale. The daily weight gain was calculated by dividing the difference in weight in a time period by the number of days in the same time period. The amount of dry matter intake, daily weight gain, weight at the end of the period, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were the other measured parameters. The FCR was also calculated by dividing the average amount of dry matter intake by each calf at the end of the period by the daily weight gain of the same animal in the entire period. On days 43 and 44 of the experimental period, feed consumption behavior was calculated by recording activity for 24 h. To measure blood parameters, blood was sampled (10 cc) from the jugular vein without using any anticoagulant on a fasting state on the last day of the experiment and quickly sent to the laboratory in a flask containing ice.
Results: Adding probiotics to calf milk improved the weight at 21 days of age and weight gain from 1 to 21 days of age (P < 0.05). Probiotic consumption caused a significant difference in final body weight and daily weight gain at the entire period (P < 0.05). Weight changes, dry matter intake of the entire period, FCR, and daily dry matter intake were improved by adding probiotics to calf milk (P < 0.05). At 21 days of age, there were no significant differences in body weight and daily weight gain among the groups receiving different probiotics, but the best performance in this parameter belonged to calves receiving B. subtilis. On the other hand, the final weight of the control group was lower than that of the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). However, calves receiving the S. boulardii yeast with Lactobacillus, S. boulardii + B. subtilis, and S. boulardii + Lactobacillus + B. subtilis did not differ significantly from each other. Nonetheless, the final weight of calves receiving B. subtilis was higher than that of the other groups (P < 0.05). Among the experimental groups, calves receiving B. subtilis and the control group showed the lowest (1.24) and the highest (1.35) FCR values, respectively (P < 0.05). Additionally, calves receiving B. subtilis spent more time for eating and ruminating (P < 0.05). Adding different probiotics to the milk of suckling calves did not significantly affect the concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, urea nitrogen, total protein, albumin, globulin, and the ratio of these two. Moreover, adding probiotics to the milk of suckling calves did not significantly affect their very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations. Calf milk supplementation with probiotics did not affect the concentrations of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine aminotransferase. Numerically, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was higher in the control group calves than in the other experimental groups, while the concentration of alkaline phosphatase was lower than in the other groups.
Conclusion: According to the results obtained in this study, the use of various probiotics improved the weight gain, dry matter intake, FCR, and overall performance of calves with no negative effects on the measured blood indices.
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