Effects of 2 colostrum and subsequent milk replacer feeding intensities on methane production, rumen development, and performance in young calves

AbstractThe morphological development of the sheep and the goat is different and this difference is manifested from early post-natal life. The main characteristic of kid goat carcasses is their low adipose tissue, and this is considered detrimental to quality. In an attempt to determine the nutritional causes of this, a study was performed with kid goats of the Granadina breed and lambs of the Segureña breed. Six kid goats and six lambs were slaughtered at birth, while a further eight kids and eight lambs were fed a milk replacer to satiety until the 60th day of life and slaughtered on the 61st day. Dry matter (DM) and metabolizable energy (ME) intakes and apparent digestibility of energy were determined in four balance periods between 8 and 60 days of life. From the intakes of ME and comparative slaughter data it was possible to calculate energy retention (ER), heat loss (HL) and energy retained as protein (ERp) and as fat (ERf) for kids and lambs. Kid goats showed a similar apparent digestibility of energy to lambs but had lower DM and ME intakes per kg metabolic body weight (M0·75) than lambs. For kids and lambs respectively these values were: 0·93 and 0·94; 45·4 and 50·1 g/kg M0·75 per day; 937 and 1033 kJ/kg M0·75 per day. Mean values for ER, HL, ERp and ERf rates were: 263, 674, 131 and 132 kJ/kg M0·75 per day for kid goats and, 343, 690, 132 and 211 kJ/kg M0·75 per day for lambs. Together with the different intake, kid goats showed a lower rate of ER and overall, a lower rate of ERf than lambs.

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Performance and behaviour of calves reared in groups or individually following an enhanced-growth feeding programme

Journal of Dairy Research ◽

10.1017/s0022029906002019 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 73 (4) ◽

pp. 480-486 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Marta Terré ◽

Alex Bach ◽

Maria Devant

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Milk Replacer ◽

Serum Urea ◽

Nefa Concentration ◽

Unlimited Access ◽

And Performance ◽

Oral Behaviour ◽

Daily Gain

Nineteen calves were reared in individual pens (IP), and twenty calves were grouped in four pens of five calves each (GP) to study the effects of grouping on behaviour and performance. All calves were on an enhanced-growth feeding programme and had unlimited access to starter. Total dry matter intake (DMI) body weight (BW), serum urea, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), cortisol, insulin, and glucose concentrations, and immune response to vaccination were measured. Behaviour patterns categorized as: non-nutritive oral behaviour, cross-sucking, inter-sucking, and self-grooming, were monitored 20 min following the morning and afternoon milk replacer consumption, and at the same times after weaning. There were no differences in final BW and starter DMI between treatments. The decrease of average daily gain (ADG) during the week following weaning was more pronounced in GP than in IP calves. Serum NEFA concentration increased at the beginning of the study in IP calves but serum urea concentrations were greater in GP than in IP calves the week after weaning. Self-grooming increased in both treatments throughout the study but GP calves increased non-nutritive oral behaviour and decreased cross-sucking and inter-sucking behaviours throughout the study. Rearing calves in groups following an enhanced-growth feeding programme did not increase starter intake. Furthermore, cross-sucking and inter-sucking behaviours in calves reared in groups did not seem to cause increased metabolic or immunological distress.

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