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Response of Young Dairy Calves Fed a Simple versus a Complex Starter with Various Kinds of Hay^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Industry, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh

ABSTRACT

Forty-seven Jersey calves were randomly assigned at four days of age to receive either a complex or a simple starter limited to 3 lb. daily per calf. Whole milk was fed in limited amounts through 35 days of age and either Coastal Bermuda or oat hay was fed from eight through 112 days in Trial I; whereas, alfalfa or crabgrass hay was fed from 15 through 112 days in Trial II. No significant differences were observed in milk, starter, or hay consumption, or in weight gains or feed efficiency between starter groups. Calves fed the Coastal Bermuda hay exhibited significantly greater weight gains than those getting the oat hay, irrespective of type of starter fed, and were more efficient in their use of TDN for increased live weight. Although alfalfa hay-fed calves consumed significantly more hay than the crabgrass hay-fed group, growth rates were similar for both. The less efficient use of TDN for gains shown by calves fed alfalfa hay is attributed to a poorer utilization of TDN from hay, which made up a larger portion of the total TDN intake for these calves.

¹ Approved by the Director of Research for publication as Paper No. 874 in the Journal Series.

² This work was conducted cooperatively with the Dairy Cattle Research Branch, ARS, USDA, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

³ Dairy Supervisor, Mountain Research Station, Waynesville, N. C.

⁴ Dairy Husbandman, DHRB, AHRD, ARS, UDSA at Coastal Plain Research Station, Willard, N. C.