Intake, growth, carcass characteristics and performance of Male Holstein Calves fed milk replacer with and without reject laban

Abdel Malik A.M; Ahmed F.A

Volume : VI, Issue : I, January - 2017

Intake, growth, carcass characteristics and performance of Male Holstein Calves fed milk replacer with and without reject laban

Abdel Malik A. M, Ahmed F. A

Abstract :

Feeding of veal calves with milk replacer is expensive. The cost can be reduced by using reject laban (fermented milk) In suckling period, Eighty Male Holstein calves with an initial average weight of 49.4 kg. were under a randomized complete block design allocated to 4 groups (each group, 20 calves) based on body weight and were assigned at random to either milk replacer or milk replacer with reject laban. Group (1):–(Control) received pure milk replacer 100%,Group (2):– received (50% milk replac +50% reject laban),Group(3):– received (40% milk replacer + 60% reject laban) andGroup (4):–received (30% milk replacer + 70% reject laban).

The calves were fed as per schedule twice daily. Calves were housed in individual hutches with water available free choice from the day received. A high quality, commercial calf starter and alfalfa was available free choice, beginning at day 5 – Weight was recorded every 2 weeks for a 60 – day trial.

In weaning period, the same calves were used after , but each group of 20 veal calves was divided into 2 equal sub groups (each sub group, 10 calves) with an initial average weight of 96.9 Kg. based on body weight and were assigned at random to either (beef starter + alfalfa) or complete feed.Weight was recorded every 2 weeks for a 90–day trial.

In fattening period, the some sub groups of calves thereafter weaning period were used with an initial average weight of 204.9 kg for beef finisher + Rhodes (replaced of beef starter + alfalfa), but the sub group of complete feed continued.

In suckling period, mean daily intake of calf starter did not differ significantly among groups, but was lower for group (1) . Average daily intake per calf was 0.792, 0.969, 0.883 and 0.949 kg, for group 1,2,3 and 4 respectively average daily gain per calf was 0.810, 0.822, 0.825 and 0.834 kg, for the groups respectively. In weaning period, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) among groups 1,2,3 and 4 of beef starter + alfalfa with average daily intake per calf of 3.72, 3.64, 3.65 and 3.86 kg, respectively and for complete feed 3.70, 3.90, 4.30 and 4.10 kg, respectively There were significant (P<0.05) among groups 1,2,3 and 4 of complete feed with average daily gain per calf as 0.92, 0.96, 1.22 and 1.13 kg, respectively) but for beef starter + alfalfa groups did not differ (P>0.05) with average daily gain per calf (1.25, 1.15, 1.21 and 1.20 kg, respectively). In fattening period, there were statistically significant (P<0.05) differences between groups of (beef finisher + Rhodes) and complete feed. The average daily intake per calf (7.4, 7.3, 7.1 and 7.4 kg, respectively) of (beef finisher + Rhodes) and for complete feed (8.2, 8.5, 8.6 and 8.4 kg, respectively). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) among groups of complete feed with average daily gain of 1.34, 1.31, 1.33 and 1.35 kg, respectively .There was no difference (P>0.05) among groups of beef finisher + Rhodes with an average daily gain of 1.36, 1.44, 1.39 and 1.36 kg, respectively.

It was concluded that veal production with or milk replacer pure 50% milk replacer + 50% reject laban and either fed beef starter or finisher gave better production performance of calves than those fed complete feed in terms of weight gain.