Canola meal or soybean meal as protein source and the effect of microencapsulated sodium butyrate supplementation in calf starter mixture. I. Performance, digestibility, and selected blood variables

Two studies were conducted to assess the effect of protein source and microencapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB) inclusion in pelleted starter mixtures on growth performance, gain feed (G:F) ratio, nutrient digestibility, selected blood metabolites calves. In study 1, 28 Holstein bull calves (8.7 ± 0.8 d age 43.0 4.4 kg; mean SD) allocated 1 4 treatments a 2 × factorial arrangement fed mixture containing canola meal (CM, 35% as fed) or soybean (SM, 24% main protein, with without supplemental MSB (0.3% fed). Starter formulated be similar for crude Lys, Met, ad libitum. Calves weaned after 42 milk replacer feeding (51.7 age) observed another 21 d. Furthermore, measured 21, 42, 63 study, digestibility was weaning. 2, 60 heifer (9.1 43.2 4.2 kg) assigned same 1. The 49 (59.1 an additional 14 Milk intake fecal score recorded daily, whereas body weight (BW) weekly. CM had tended have lesser preweaning intake, weaning average daily (ADG), overall G:F postweaning total-tract dry matter opposed those SM. However, these differences did not affect ADG, final BW. Supplementation only increase intake. that greater cumulative weaning, but no BW, ratio. Inclusion decrease conclusion, use SM resulted performance calves; however, reduced ratio at least some points rearing. minor effects