1- Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resource University, Sari, Iran
2- Animal Science Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran
2- Animal Science Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract: (770 Views)
Extended abstract
Background: The importance of calf rearing is well known in the economic success of dairy herds. Apart from the milk feeding program, the physical form of the starter feed and forage intake are important factors in the growth of dairy calves. To date, no study has examined the interaction between the physical form of the starter feed and the forage feeding time on digestibility, rumen parameters, and blood parameters of dairy Holstein calves. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of forage feeding time and the physical texture of the starter feed on digestibility, rumen parameters, and blood parameters of dairy Holstein calves.
Methods: This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial method for 85 days. For this purpose, 40 male calves with an average birth weight of 39.42 ± 0.74 kg were divided between four experimental treatments (each treatment included 10 calves). The experimental diets included 1) ground starter with alfalfa from the first day of the experiment, 2) ground starter with alfalfa from the 21st day of the experiment, 3) pelleted starter with alfalfa from the first day of the experiment, and 4) pelleted starter with alfalfa from the 21st day of the experiment. Statistical analyses were performed using the MIXED method by SAS software with time as a repeated measure.
Results: The interaction effect of forage feeding time × physical form of the starter feed for protein digestibility tended to be significant, so that calves fed the ground diet with alfalfa from the 21st day of age and calves fed the pelleted diet with alfalfa from the 1st day of age had the highest protein digestibility. In addition, the digestibility of protein, fat, and neutral detergent fiber increased in calves fed the pelleted diet compared to the ground diet. Feeding forage from one day of age increased the digestibility of neutral detergent fibers compared to 21 days of age. Feeding forage from one day of age increased rumen pH. The interaction effect of forage feeding time × physical form of the starter feed was significant, so that feeding pelleted feed with forage from 1 day of age accounted for the highest rumen pH. Feeding forage from one day of age decreased rumen ammonia nitrogen compared to day 21. The interaction effect of the physical form of the starter feed × forage feeding time was observed throughout the entire period (P = 0.048), such that feeding pelleted feed with forage from 1 day of age produced the lowest amount of rumen ammonia nitrogen. Conversely, feeding ground feed with the forage from 21 days of age produced the highest amount of rumen ammonia nitrogen. Ruminal acetate concentration tended to increase at the end of the experiment (P = 0.069) and throughout the entire period (P = 0.068) in calves fed pelleted feed compared to ground feed. In all periods, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on acetate concentration, such that feeding forage from 1 day of age increased acetate concentration compared to groups that had started consuming forage from 21 days of age. The effect of feed texture was significant on propionate concentration, such that the propionate concentration was higher in the rumen fluid of calves fed pelleted feed than that of the groups fed ground feed. The effect of feed texture on rumen butyrate concentration was significant in all periods, such that feeding pelleted feed increased butyrate concentration compared to calves that consumed ground feed. An interaction effect of feed texture × forage feeding time was observed, such that the butyrate concentration was higher in the rumen of calves that received pelleted feed with the forage from 1 day of age than in the other treatments. The effect of feed texture on total rumen volatile fatty acid concentration was significant throughout the entire period (P = 0.048), such that calves fed pelleted feed had higher rumen liquid fatty acid concentration than the groups fed ground feed. However, the effect of forage feeding time tended to be significant in the three periods of weaning (P = 0.058), final (P = 0.064), and the entire period (P = 0.068), and calves fed forage from 21 days of age had higher fatty acid concentration than those fed 1 day of age. The effect of feed texture was significant on serum glucose concentration, such that ground feed increased glucose concentration compared to pelleted feed. In addition, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on serum glucose concentration, such that the glucose concentration was lower in the groups that consumed forage from the first day than in the groups fed forage from day 21. An interaction effect of feed texture × forage feeding time was observed for serum glucose concentration at weaning (P = 0.012), such that the group that was fed with flour feed along with forage from day 21 had the highest glucose concentration. In all periods, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on serum beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration, such that the beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration was significantly lower in the groups fed forage from the first day than in the groups fed forage from the 21st day.
Conclusion: Alfalfa intake at 10% resulted in increased rumen fiber digestibility at 1 day of age compared to 21 days of age, which is due to increased rumen health and higher rumen cellulase activity. In addition, feeding pelleted resulted in increased rumen fatty acid production compared to ground diets. The interaction between starter feed texture and forage feeding time showed that the use of forage at 1 day of age resulted in increased rumen function in calves consuming pelleted diets.
Background: The importance of calf rearing is well known in the economic success of dairy herds. Apart from the milk feeding program, the physical form of the starter feed and forage intake are important factors in the growth of dairy calves. To date, no study has examined the interaction between the physical form of the starter feed and the forage feeding time on digestibility, rumen parameters, and blood parameters of dairy Holstein calves. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of forage feeding time and the physical texture of the starter feed on digestibility, rumen parameters, and blood parameters of dairy Holstein calves.
Methods: This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial method for 85 days. For this purpose, 40 male calves with an average birth weight of 39.42 ± 0.74 kg were divided between four experimental treatments (each treatment included 10 calves). The experimental diets included 1) ground starter with alfalfa from the first day of the experiment, 2) ground starter with alfalfa from the 21st day of the experiment, 3) pelleted starter with alfalfa from the first day of the experiment, and 4) pelleted starter with alfalfa from the 21st day of the experiment. Statistical analyses were performed using the MIXED method by SAS software with time as a repeated measure.
Results: The interaction effect of forage feeding time × physical form of the starter feed for protein digestibility tended to be significant, so that calves fed the ground diet with alfalfa from the 21st day of age and calves fed the pelleted diet with alfalfa from the 1st day of age had the highest protein digestibility. In addition, the digestibility of protein, fat, and neutral detergent fiber increased in calves fed the pelleted diet compared to the ground diet. Feeding forage from one day of age increased the digestibility of neutral detergent fibers compared to 21 days of age. Feeding forage from one day of age increased rumen pH. The interaction effect of forage feeding time × physical form of the starter feed was significant, so that feeding pelleted feed with forage from 1 day of age accounted for the highest rumen pH. Feeding forage from one day of age decreased rumen ammonia nitrogen compared to day 21. The interaction effect of the physical form of the starter feed × forage feeding time was observed throughout the entire period (P = 0.048), such that feeding pelleted feed with forage from 1 day of age produced the lowest amount of rumen ammonia nitrogen. Conversely, feeding ground feed with the forage from 21 days of age produced the highest amount of rumen ammonia nitrogen. Ruminal acetate concentration tended to increase at the end of the experiment (P = 0.069) and throughout the entire period (P = 0.068) in calves fed pelleted feed compared to ground feed. In all periods, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on acetate concentration, such that feeding forage from 1 day of age increased acetate concentration compared to groups that had started consuming forage from 21 days of age. The effect of feed texture was significant on propionate concentration, such that the propionate concentration was higher in the rumen fluid of calves fed pelleted feed than that of the groups fed ground feed. The effect of feed texture on rumen butyrate concentration was significant in all periods, such that feeding pelleted feed increased butyrate concentration compared to calves that consumed ground feed. An interaction effect of feed texture × forage feeding time was observed, such that the butyrate concentration was higher in the rumen of calves that received pelleted feed with the forage from 1 day of age than in the other treatments. The effect of feed texture on total rumen volatile fatty acid concentration was significant throughout the entire period (P = 0.048), such that calves fed pelleted feed had higher rumen liquid fatty acid concentration than the groups fed ground feed. However, the effect of forage feeding time tended to be significant in the three periods of weaning (P = 0.058), final (P = 0.064), and the entire period (P = 0.068), and calves fed forage from 21 days of age had higher fatty acid concentration than those fed 1 day of age. The effect of feed texture was significant on serum glucose concentration, such that ground feed increased glucose concentration compared to pelleted feed. In addition, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on serum glucose concentration, such that the glucose concentration was lower in the groups that consumed forage from the first day than in the groups fed forage from day 21. An interaction effect of feed texture × forage feeding time was observed for serum glucose concentration at weaning (P = 0.012), such that the group that was fed with flour feed along with forage from day 21 had the highest glucose concentration. In all periods, the effect of forage feeding time was significant on serum beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration, such that the beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration was significantly lower in the groups fed forage from the first day than in the groups fed forage from the 21st day.
Conclusion: Alfalfa intake at 10% resulted in increased rumen fiber digestibility at 1 day of age compared to 21 days of age, which is due to increased rumen health and higher rumen cellulase activity. In addition, feeding pelleted resulted in increased rumen fatty acid production compared to ground diets. The interaction between starter feed texture and forage feeding time showed that the use of forage at 1 day of age resulted in increased rumen function in calves consuming pelleted diets.
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