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Certain Dietary Factors Essential for the Growing Calf

From the Departments of Dairy Husbandry and Biochemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ABSTRACT

These studies show that vitamin C, A, and nicotinic acid are essential in the diet of the young calf and that they are exceedingly important for the prevention and control of early calfhood diseases.

Specifically the data show that the blood plasma concentration of vitamin C in the new born calf is about twice its normal value. This vitamin has been shown to be highly effective in protecting the calf from navel ill, peritonitis and other active infections. Apparently vitamin C synthesis in the calf begins at about 2 or 3 weeks.

It is possible to maintain the blood plasma vitamin C by oral administration of the vitamin for the first 10 days of life, thereafter it must be injected to be effectively recovered in the blood stream.

On the other hand, the blood concentration of vitamin A and carotene are sufficiently low in the new born calf as to cause it to be vitamin A deficient at birth. It appears unlikely that the very young calf can convert carotene into vitamin A.

It has been demonstrated that adequate vitamin A and nicotinic acid are the essential factors in the control of calf scours; the administration of these substances has controlled all types of scours thus far encountered, except that which accompanied septicemia in the newborn. Pantothenic acid with vitamin A was ineffective in the control of scours in contrast to nicotinic acid.

On the basis of these data Holstein calves can be raised from birth on a diet of skimmilk with added amounts of vitamins A, C, D, nicotinic acid and access to hay and grain.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. H. WISE, M. J. CALDWELL, and J. S. HUGHES The Effect of the Prepartum Diet of the Cow on the Vitamin A Reserves of Her Newborn Offspring Science, May 17, 1946; 103(2681): 616 - 618. [Abstract] [PDF]