Rearing of dairy cattle 3. A note on the use of whole milk for calves fed once daily

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Leaver ◽  
N. H. Yarrow

SUMMARYWhole milk was given once daily to three groups each of 18 Friesian heifer calves and concentrates and hay were also available. Calves in one group received 2·4 kg milk/day and in a second 3·0 kg milk/day and in both of these groups individual calves were weaned when their daily intake of concentrates reached 400 g. In the third group the calves received 3·0 kg milk/day and were weaned after 28 days. Concentrate and hay intakes were not significantly affected by the treatments. Mean growth rate over 56 days increased with increasing quantity of whole milk offered but the differences between treatments were not significant. The performance of calves given whole milk was compared with the performance achieved in previous experiments where milk substitute was given. It was estimated that 1 kg whole milk gave the same live-weight gain as 170 g milk-substitute powder. From this estimate price/cost relationships were determined to indicate when whole milk or milk substitute should be fed to calves.

1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Leaver ◽  
N. H. Yarrow

SUMMARYBritish Friesian dairy female calves were offered once daily either 320 or 480 g of milk substitute reconstituted in warm water. Weaning took place when calves were consistently eating 400, 650 or 900 g/day of concentrates. The number of days taken to reach weaning was greater with calves offered 480 g than with calves offered 320 g of milk substitute per day. Calves with a high initial live weight achieved the required concentrate intake and were therefore weaned sooner than smaller calves. A fall in energy intake occurred immediately after weaning and this was greatest in calves previously offered 480 g/day of milk substitute. The treatments had no significant effect on the total intake of concentrates and hay over the 8 weeks of the experiment. Increasing the amount of milk substitute from 320 to 480 g/day increased total feed costs, and feed costs per kg live-weight gain. Increasing the required level of concentrate intake at weaning also increased total feed costs and feed costs/kg live-weight gain, but to a lesser extent. The results suggest that it is preferable to feed dairy replacement calves only 320 g of milk substitute in a once-daily feeding system. Weaning can be successfully under-taken when the calves are consistently eating 400 g/day of concentrates.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Yan ◽  
J. E. Cook ◽  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
W. E. Ivings ◽  
T. T. Treacher

AbstractTo examine the possibility of reducing milk substitute costs in artificial rearing of goat kids, 36 castrated male Saanen kids at 2 days of age were randomly allocated across six treatments in a 2×3 factorial design experiment. Milk substitute was provided for the kids over a period of 28 or 39 days, and daily levels of milk substitute dry matter (DM) intake were 0·140,0·176 or 0·272 kg.Increasing the level of milk substitute offered had no significant effect on intake of concentrate up to weaning, but did significantly reduce the total intake of concentrate through to slaughter. Weaning after 39 days, as opposed to 28 days, also significantly reduced the total intake of concentrates. However, there was no difference when the same total quantity of milk substitute was consumed over different periods. Increasing the daily intake of milk substitute significantly increased daily live-weight gain to weaning, but tended to increase the time taken by kids to regain their weaning weight following cessation of milk substitute intake. However, milk substitute level and weaning age did not significantly affect overall daily live-weight gain or the length of time taken to reach 28 kg.Eight additional kids were slaughtered at 2 days of age to develop regression equations relating initial body composition to live weight. These relationships were similar to others published for 2-day-old Saanen kids. Treatments had no significant effect on overall rates of fat, crude protein, water, ash and energy gain or on final body composition, carcass weight or carcass composition when kids were slaughtered at a live weight of 28 kg. These data suggest that savings in milk substitute may be achieved by reducing the weaning age and/or the daily intake level.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Reiter ◽  
Rosemary J. Fulford ◽  
Valerie M. Marshall ◽  
N. Yarrow ◽  
M. J. Ducker ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTResults are reported from four trials in which neonatal calves were given either whole milk or milk substitute containing the lactoperoxidase system.Trial 1 was a pilot trial conducted in Sweden in which calves given whole milk with the lactoperoxidase system gained significantly more weight than controls (P< 0·05). Trials 2, 3 and 4 were carried out in successive years at the National Institute for Research in Dairying, using large numbers of newborn, female Friesian calves. In trial 2 a significant positive effect of the lactoperoxidase system with whole milk on live-weight gain was established by 3 weeks of age (P< 0·05) and sustained until weaning at 5 weeks. There was no significant effect of the lactoperoxidase system for the milk substitute treatment. In trial 3 the whole milk comparison from trial 2 was repeated. There was a significant positive effect of the lactoperoxidase system on the live-weight change after 2 weeks of age only (P< 0·05). In trial 4 two different methods of activating the lactoperoxidase system were compared for calves given whole milk. There was no effect of either method on the live-weight gain of the calves. However, as the levels of scouring were extremely low for all calves, a comparison of the two methods of activating the lactoperoxidase system was not justified. The combined results from trials 2, 3 and 4 confirmed that the lactoperoxidase system significantly increased the live-weight gain of calves given whole milk, despite the fact that the overall level of mortality and incidence of scouring was low in these trials.


1961 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Vern Miles ◽  
V. S. Logan ◽  
W. J. Pigden

Thirty-five Holstein heifer calves were assigned at birth to three ration schedules: moderate m; control c; high h. These three groups were weaned from whole milk during the 2nd, 7th and 9th weeks respectively with m and h calves receiving skim milk to 7 and 16 weeks of age respectively. m and c calves were allowed 4 pounds and h calves up to 6 pounds of meal daily with no limit on hay consumption. Moderate and high rationed calves were further sub-divided into three birth groups and were abruptly switched from the above feeding schedules and placed on pasture without supplementation at 56, 112, and 168 days. Treatment comparisons included live weight gain, withers height and heart girth measurements.High rationed calves made greater growth increases than m or c calves during the barn feeding period. These differences were greater for weight than for heart girth or withers increases. Pastured calves made smaller body gains during the first 28-day pasture period than barn-fed controls. This trend was reversed by the third pasture period with some pastured calves gaining over 2 pounds daily, h calves placed on pasture at 2 months of age made greater body weight gains and appeared to be thriftier than calves previously moderately rationed.


1971 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Lonsdale ◽  
J. C. Tayler

SUMMARYAn experiment was conducted with 63 July-born Friesian heifer calves, purchased at an average age of 10 days and fed cold reconstituted milk substitute for 4, 6 or 8 weeks. The sole ‘solid’ feed was dried grass, chopped and fed loose (a), milled through a 6 mm screen and pelleted (b) or milled through a 3 mm screen and pelleted (c). The experiment was of 3 x 3 factorial design.Calves fed milk for 4, 6 or 8 weeks consumed mean amounts of 20, 42 and 63 kg milk D.M. respectively. During the first 10 weeks the mean daily intake of grass b was significantly greater than that of grasses a or c (0.77, 1.09 and 0.89 kg D.M. for grasses a, b and c respectively) and during weeks 11 to 21 the mean intake of grasses b and c was greater than that of a (3.1, 4.1, 3.7 kg D.M. for grasses a, b and c respectively). Also during weeks 11 to 21 the previous milk feeding had a small but significant effect on the mean daily intake of grass (3.4, 3.7, 3.8 kg D.M./head/day for 4, 6 and 8 weeks of milk feeding respectively).Increasing the period of milk feeding significantly increased the rate of live-weight gain during the first 10 weeks, but subsequently had no effect. During the first 10 weeks and during weeks 11–21, feeding grass b or c significantly increased the rate of liveweight gain compared with grass a but had no effect during a period of uniform feeding, weeks 23–34.During the first 21 weeks feed conversion efficiency was positively related to duration of milk feeding, and was greater for calves given grass b or c than, for thoso given grass a.During weeks 23–34, 36 calves (4 from each original treatment) were fed another uniformly milled and pelleted dried grass. There were no significant differences in voluntary intake, live-weight gain or efficiency of food conversion between the groups of calves during this period. Hence the results of this experiment support previous observations, that when only forage diets are fed the effect of level of early nutrition is still evident in live weights of calves at 6 months of age.


2002 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. R. Dawson ◽  
A. F. Carson ◽  
L. O. W. McClinton

AbstractAn experiment was undertaken to compare the productivity of crossbred ewes, produced by crossing Texel sires with Rouge de l’Ouest (Rouge) dams and Rouge sires with Texel dams, relative to purebred Texel and Rouge ewes. The purebred and crossbred ewes were crossed with Rouge and Texel sires. The proportion of productive ewes was similar in the purebred and crossbred ewes with an average figure of 0·92. Irrespective of crossing sire, Rouge ewes produced 0·48 more lambs per ewe lambed than Texel ewes (P < 0·001). The two crossbred ewe types (Texel ✕ Rouge and Rouge ✕ Texel) each produced similar numbers of lambs (on average 1·92 lambs per ewe lambed). Individual heterosis values for ewe fertility and prolificacy were small and not significant (–1·67 for the proportion of productive ewes and –3·14 for the number of lambs born per ewe lambed). Maternal heterosis values were also not significant but were of larger magnitude (6·26 for ewe fertility and 3·12 for prolificacy). Lamb mortality (number of lambs born dead per ewe lambed) at birth was similar for purebred Rouge (0·44) and Texel (0·30) ewes and was significantly reduced by crossbred matings and mating the crossbred ewes (individual heterosis –30·68, P < 0·10; maternal heterosis –80·23, P < 0·001). Individual and maternal heterosis values for lamb growth rate from birth to six weeks were 8 (P < 0·05) and 4 (P > 0·05) respectively. Lamb growth rate from birth to weaning was significantly lower in lambs from Texel ewes compared with those from the other genotypes (P < 0·05). Individual and maternal heterosis values for live-weight gain from birth to weaning were 5 (P < 0·10) and 5 (P < 0·01). The results of the current study demonstrate the superior performance of purebred Rouge ewes compared with purebred Texel ewes in terms of prolificacy and lamb growth rate from birth to weaning. However, both breeds had high lamb mortality at birth. Crossbreeding led to the production of hybrid ewes which had relatively high prolificacy with low levels of dystocia and lamb mortality.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-278
Author(s):  
Masum Billah ◽  
Md Humayun Kabir ◽  
Md Hafizur Rahman ◽  
Md Abdul Hamid

The present study was carried out to assess the effect of concentrate on growth performances of both male and female lamb. For this purpose twenty four (12 male and 12 female) lamb aged about 5-6 months were selected and divided into three groups (Treatment group T1, T2 and control group T0). In each group having 4 males and 4 females lamb, all lambs were supplied green roughages ad-libitum, control group T0 was allowed no concentrate and treatment group T1 & T2 were supplied 100 gm & 200 gm concentrate mixture respectively for 90 days experimental period. Animals were weighed at 15 days interval. Significant differences of live weight gain among these three groups were found. Allowing 100 gm (T1) concentrate mixture along with green grass improved growth rate in both male and female lamb. Increasing of concentrate supplementation improved live weight gain (found in T2 group). Total live weight gain (kg) and average daily live weight gain (g/d) were 4.25±0.52 kg and 47.20±5.75 g, 5.38±0.83 kg and 59.73+9.17 g and 7.00±0.54 kg and 77.78±6.00 g in male lambs and 2.25±0.21 kg and 25.00±2.34 g, 3.18±0.32 kg and 35.39±3.63 g and 3.81±0.24 kg and 42.33±2.77 g in female lambs for the To, T1 and T2 groups respectively. Live weight was significantly (P<0.05) higher in male than female lambs. The results showed that 100 g concentrate supplementation with green roughages improved growth rate in lambs (male and female) under stall feeding condition. Increase of supplementation might improve nutrients supply to promote higher live weight gain.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2016, 2(2): 274-278


1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Penning ◽  
K. M. Cottrell ◽  
T. T. Treacher

SUMMARYTwenty-seven groups of Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn lambs, each of two males and two females, were offered daily quantities of 180, 248 or 343 g milk substitute dry matter (DM) for 21, 29 or 40 days. The environmental temperature was 18°C during the first 21 days of rearing, and concentrate pellets and clean water were always available. From 22 to 48 days of age the lambs were offered 150 g of hay per week.For lambs offered 180 g milk substitute DM, increasing the number of days before weaning increased the daily live-weight gain over the 47-day experimental period. For daily allowances of 248 and 343 g of milk substitute, greater gains were effected only by delaying weaning from 21 to 29 days.Increasing the daily allowance of milk substitute DM had little effect on the daily gain of lambs weaned after 21 days but increased gain by lambs weaned at 29 days. For lambs weaned after 40 days growth rate was increased only by the first increment of milk substitute DM. Intake of solid food began when the lambs were 3 weeks old and total intake of concentrates was inversely related to total quantity of milk substitute DM consumed and in general was less when weaning was later.The overall efficiency of conversion of total DM consumed to live weight was positively related to total milk substitute DM consumed and tended to be greatest when weaning was later. A daily allowance of 180 g milk substitute DM for 21 days gave the lowest food cost per unit of live-weight gain.The incidence of navel sucking is discussed.


1969 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Raven ◽  
T. J. Forbes ◽  
J. H. D. Irwin

Summary1. An experiment consisting of two separate trials was carried out to study the utilization by beef cattle of high concentrate diets containing different amounts of milled barley straw and of protein. For each trial twenty-four Friesian steers, initially weighing about 270 kg, were divided into three groups and the animals within each group then allocated at random to eight dietary treatments. The treatments were based on an all-concentrate diet and three others containing 10, 20 and 30% of milled (1 in screen) barley straw. Four of the treatments consisted of giving the same concentrate mixture with each level of straw, and the other four involved giving concentrate mixtures with increasing levels of protein so that the percentage of protein in the diets was maintained. All the diets were fed ad libitum until slaughter.2. Performance in terms of live-weight gain was considered as the net result of a number of factors, notably the total intake of dry matter, the digestibility of the dry matter, the efficiency of utilization of the end products of fermentation in the rumen and the composition of the live-weight gain. The inclusions of 20 and 30% of straw in the diet were associated with lower rates of gain than on corresponding all-concentrate and 10% straw treatments but the differences obtained did not attain significance. Total intakes of dry matter were greater on treatments containing 10 and 20% of straw than on corresponding all-concentrate treatments, but then declined with further increase in level of straw to 30%. This trend was significantly curvilinear (P < 0·01), the equation for the relationship beingY = 5·881 + 0·131X - 0·004X2,with Y being the daily intake of dry matter (kg) and X the percentage of straw in the diet. The maximum intake of dry matter was calculated to occur with a level of 16·4% straw in the diet and represents an increase in total dry matter intake of 18·2% over that on an all-concentrate diet. Food conversion ratio, expressed as total dry matter consumed per kg live-weight gain, tended to increase with increasing proportion of straw in the diet.3. The mean digestibility of organic matter fell sharply with the inclusion of 10% straw in the ration, the decrease being 8·2% where the protein level was not maintained and 9·1% where it was maintained. Further reductions in digestibility occurred on the 20 and 30% straw diets, but the magnitude of the reductions were considerably less than those brought about by the initial introduction of straw into the ration.4. The molar percentage of acetic acid in the steam volatile acids of rumen liquor increased markedly, and that of propionic acid decreased sharply from the all-concentrate to the 10% straw treatment with a similar level of dietary protein. Increase in the level of straw to 30% gave rise to a further increase in the proportion of acetic acid and reduction in that of propionic acid. Analysis of samples taken at 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after feeding showed appreciable differences in pattern between treatments.5. Effects of treatment on killing-out percentage were different for each trial. In trial 1 the inclusion of straw in the diet did not cause any reduction in killing-out percentage, but the maintenance of protein level gave rise to a significantly higher killing-out percentage than was obtained with the lower protein groups. In trial 2 the killing-out percentages showed a significantly linear (P < 0·01) decrease with increasing proportion of straw in the ration, and maintenance of protein level did not give any improvement.


1976 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. P. Le Du ◽  
R. D. Baker ◽  
J. M. Barker

SUMMARYForty-eight Hereford × Friesian steer calves purchased at 7–10 days of age were reared on reconstituted milk substitute and groups of 12 were weaned at 86, 128, 170 or 212 days. Six calves at each weaning age were fed high (H) and low (L) quantities of milk normally associated with 240-day lactation yields of 2000 or 1000 kg. Calves were housed until day 63 of the experiment and then strip-grazed on swards of Loliun perenne with a daily allocation of herbage dry matter equivalent to 60 g/kg LW.Herbage intake per unit live weight prior to weaning was consistently greater for the calves receiving low quantities of milk. Following weaning there was a rapid rise in herbage intake towards a maximum of 30 g OM/kg LW when sward conditions were non-limiting. The amount of milk fed prior to weaning affected herbage intake after weaning, and H groups did not achieve similar intakes to their L contemporaries until some weeks after weaning. The H groups grew faster from birth to weaning than the L groups but they experienced a more severe check in live-weight gain after weaning which nullified the advantage of better weight gains between the start of the grazing period and weaning. In consequence, there was no significant effect of the quantity of milk consumed prior to weaning upon live-weight gain during the grazing season. The results indicate a marked benefit from distributing a given quantity of milk over a longer feeding period as similar growth rates occurred for the H86 v. L128, H128 v. L170 and H170 v. L212 groups. Calves receiving milk consumed less herbage and spent a smaller proportion of the day grazing than weaned contemporaries, which suggests that metabolic rather than physical or behavioural factors are likely to limit their intake.


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