Substituting oat hay or maize silage for portion of alfalfa hay affects growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and nutrient digestibility of weaned calves

نویسندگان

  • Yang Zou
  • XinPing Zou
  • XiZhi Li
  • Gang Guo
  • Peng Ji
  • Yan Wang
  • ShengLi Li
  • YaJing Wang
  • ZhiJun Cao
چکیده

OBJECTIVE The impact of forage feeding strategy on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility in post-weaning calves was investigated. METHODS Forty-five female Holstein calves (body weight [BW] = 79.79±0.38 kg) were enrolled in the 35-d study at one week after weaning and randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments. All diets were fed as total mixed ration containing 60% (dry matter [DM] basis) of basal starter feed and 40% (DM basis) of forage, but varied in composition of forage source including i) alfalfa (40% DM, AH); ii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+oat hay (13.3% DM; OH); iii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+corn silage (13.3% DM; WS). RESULTS Dry matter intake was not different among treatment groups (p>0.05). However, BW (p<0.05) and average daily gain (p<0.05) of calves fed AH and OH were greater than WS-fed calves, whereas heart girth was greater in OH-fed calves than those fed AH and WS (p<0.05). Ruminal fermentation parameters including proportion of butyric acid, acetated-to-propionate ratio, concentration of total volatile fatty acid, protozoal protein, bacterial protein, and microbial protein in rumen were the highest in OH (p<0.05) and the lowest in WS. Compared with the AH and WS, feeding oat hay to postweaning calves increased crude protein digestibility (p<0.05), and decreased duration of diarrhea (p<0.05) and fecal index (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our results suggested that partially replacing alfalfa hay with oat hay improved ruminal fermentation, nitrogen utilization, and reduced incidence of diarrhea in post-weaning dairy calves.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Interaction effect of starter physical form and alfalfa hay on growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and blood metabolites in Holstein calves

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of physical form of starter and alfalfa hay (AH) provision on growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy calves. Forty-four 3d-old Holstein dairy calves with a mean starting BW of 39.9 ± 1.1 kg were used in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The factors were dietary forage level (0 or 150 g kg-1</sup...

متن کامل

Effects of fiber source on apparent digestibility and ruminal fermentation parameters in sheep fed high-concentrate diets

Sixteen rams (mean age: 13 mo; mean live weight: 40.0 ± 2.4 kg) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (4 rams per treatment). Diets (dry matter basis) contained 65% concentrate and 35% alfalfa hay (control diet, T1), 35% wheat straw (T2), 35% barley straw (T3) or 35% maize straw (T4). Total-tract apparent digestibility for dry matter, organic matter...

متن کامل

Effects of Fat Supplementation and Chop Length on Milk Composition and Ruminal Fermentation of Cows Fed Diets Containing Alfalfa Silage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fat supplementation for enhancing milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in early lactation without affecting ruminal fermentation. 24 Holstein dairy cows were assigned to a completely randomized design employing a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. Factors were particle size (15 and 25 mm) and two different sources of alfalfa supplemented with and wit...

متن کامل

اثر جایگزینی بخشی از علوفه یونجه با کاه گندم بر گوارش‌پذیری و عملکرد بره‌های نر پرواری

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of partially replacing forage sources (alfalfa hay) with treated wheat straw on nutrient digestibility, chewing activity, blood metabolites, rumen fermentation, and performance of finishing lambs. Wheat straw (WS) was treated with 7 % sodium hydroxide, 3.5 % salt, and 3.3 % calcium carbonate and then ensiled for 2 months. Twenty-three male ...

متن کامل

Effects of fiber source on apparent digestibility and ruminal fermentation parameters in sheep fed high-concentrate diets

Sixteen rams (mean age: 13 mo; mean live weight: 40.0 ± 2.4 kg) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (4 rams per treatment). Diets (dry matter basis) contained 65% concentrate and 35% alfalfa hay (control diet, T1), 35% wheat straw (T2), 35% barley straw (T3) or 35% maize straw (T4). Total-tract apparent digestibility for dry matter, organic matter...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 31  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2018