Effects of oral administration of timothy hay and psyllium on the growth performance and fecal microbiota of preweaning calves

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects oral administration fiber from first week life on growth and hindgut environment preweaning calves. Twenty newborn female Holstein calves were divided into 2 groups as control treatment. Calves in both reared under same feeding program except for administration. Timothy hay psyllium mixed at a 50-to-6 ratio treatment diet group orally administered 50 g daily 3 7 d age 100 8 until weaning. Feed intake occurrence diarrhea recorded daily, body weight (BW) weekly individual calf. Fresh feces collected 7, 21, 35, 49, 56 analyze fermentation parameters microbiota characterize environment. Higher due timothy did not affect starter achieved higher BW 21 age. fecal pH, total volatile fatty acid, lactate, ammonia nitrogen concentrations affected by administration; meanwhile, molar proportion propionate difference subjected observed within life; Lactobacillus spp. Prevotella showed abundance, whereas that Clostridium perfringens decreased. These abundances beneficial bacteria lower abundance pathogenic during early may partly explain Furthermore, no adverse effect health status throughout period. Therefore, via potentially contributes improving calves, which leads better stage life.