GROWTH PERFORMANCE, DIGESTIBILITY COEFFICIENTS AND FEED EFFICIENCY OF SUCKLING CALVES AS AFFECTED BY EARLY WEANING SYSTEM AND ANTIBIOTICS SUPPLEMENTATION. | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 12, Volume 30, Issue 6, June 2005, Page 3125-3190 PDF (713.32 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2005.238003 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Nazly M.M. El-Kholi | ||||
| Animal Production Research institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Effect of early weaning for 45 days and early weaning with antibiotic supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility coefficients, growth performance, feed efficiency and economic efficiency of Brown Swiss calves was studied as compared to normal weaning on 122 days of age. A total of 45 calves was assigned to three similar groups. 15 in each. Calves in the control group (G1) were fed whole coWs milk, calf starter and berseem hay (8H) and weaned on 122 days of age. The 2'” group (G2) was led lower amount of whole cow‘s milk, higher amount of starter and BH and early weaned on 45 days of age. While, the 3‘d group {G3} was fed the same diet of GZ, but their milk was supplemented with 50 mg antibiotic {oxytetracycliny kg milk and early weaned on 45 days of age. Results revealed that from birth to 45 days of age, total DM intake increased, while TDN and DCP intakes decreased in G2 and G3 as compared to G1. From birth to 122 days of age, total DM, TDN and DCP intakes decreased in G2 and G3 as compared to Gt, At 45 days of age, digestibility coefficient of DM decreased {P<0.05) in G3 and of EE increased (P<0.0S) in G2 as compared to G1 Digestibiiity coefficrents of CP, CF and NFE did not differ significantly in G2 and (33 from G1. At 122 days of age, digestibility coefficients of DM decreased (P<0.05] and of CF increased (P<0.05) in GB as compared to G1. While only digestibility of NFE was higher (P<0 05) in G2 than Gt. The differences in digestibility coefficients of CP and EE between each of G2 and G3 from one side and G1 from the other side were not significant At 45 days of age, averages LBW were lower (P<0.05) by about 9.5 and 6.8% In 62 and G3 than in Gt, respectively. At 122 days of age, the differences in LBW among all groups were not significant. From birth to 45 days of age. total weight gain was higher (P<0.05) in (31 and G3 (208 and 19.3 kg, respectively) than in G2 (15.9 kg). From birth up to 122 days of age, these differences were not significance and LBW ranged between 55.1 and 57.1 kg. The differences in average daily gain were not significant from birth to 45 or to 122 days of age. From birth to 45 days of age, feed efficiency (3 gainikg DM) was lower (P<0.05) in G2 and G3 than in G1, being the lowest (P<0.05) in G2, and as g gainlkg TDN and DCP was higher (P<0.05) in G1 and G3 than in G2. From birth to 122 days of age, the differences in feed efficiency (3 gaim‘kg DM and DCP) were not significant. and as g gainfkg TDN was higher (P<D.05) in G2 and G3 than in G1. Calves in G3 showed the highest economic efficiency from birth to 45 days of age, while G2 showed the highest economic efficiency from birth to 122 days of age. Based on the forgoing results, it could be concluded that weaning the suckling calves on 45 days of age with antibiotic supplementation (50 mg tetracycline! kg milk) has beneficial effects on their growth performance, digestibility coefficients and economic feed efficiency either With or without antibiotics. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Suckling calves; Antibiotics; digestibility; feed efficiency | ||||
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