HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Everett, J. P. Articles by Rust, J. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Everett, J. P., Jr. Articles by Rust, J. W.

Aureomycin as a Protein-Sparing Agent and its Influence on Minimum Starter Protein Level Satisfactory for Normal Growth of Dairy Calves

Dairy Section, University of Kentucky, Lexington

ABSTRACT

Sixty two-day-old Holstein and Jersey calves were raised to 86 days of age on a limited milk-hay-starter system to determine (a) whether aureomycin spared dietary protein, and (b) the minimum starter protein level satisfactory for normal growth of aureomycin-fed calves reared on a limited milk-hay-starter system. Five starters ranging from 6.3 to 14.2% protein were fed with and without aureomycin. The antibiotic did not spare dietary protein in this experiment, but did give satisfactory gains on a starter containing at least 2% less protein than the starter required to give similar gains without aureomycin. Normal weight gains were made by calves on the 12.2 and 14.2% protein starters when aureomycin was fed. Significant increases in average daily gain, height at withers, heart girth, and starter consumption were obtained when aureomycin was fed. The antibiotic had no significant effect on apparent digestibility of any of the nutrients in the ration, nitrogen retention, blood levels of plasma protein, urea nitrogen or nonprotein nitrogen; however, aureomycin tended to lower slightly the blood levels of urea and nonprotein nitrogen. Aureomycin gave a slight but nonsignificant depression in rectal temperature. Calves on the 12.2 and 14.2% protein starters had significantly higher coefficients of apparent digestibility of crude protein, and the 14.2% protein groups had significantly greater nitrogen retention than did calves on the 6.3% protein starters.

¹ Present address: Dairy Dept., Michigan State University, East Lansing.