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Effect of Supplementary Digestive Enzymes on Growth of Dairy Heifers ¹

Department of Dairy Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

ABSTRACT

Reports on the effects of supplementary enzymes on growth are variable. Fries et al. (3) found that addition of enzymes, including pepsin, to the diet of young calves did not improve growth rates on various types of milk replacement formulas. Ratcliff et al. (5) showed that pepsin and animal diastase supplementation of whole milk and gruel rations did not improve the performance of calves to 10 wk. of age. Lassiter et al. (4) found that addition of pepsin to various skimmilk replacement formulas slightly depressed the growth rate of calves. The supplemented calves consumed less starter and more hay and required more feed per pound of gain than did control calves. Using larger animals, however, Burroughs et al. (2) found that addition of a fermentation enzyme product resulted in a significant increase in live weight gains of steers. When the rations were high in silage or dry corn, feed efficiency appeared to be improved by the enzymes, though digestibility of the feed was not affected.

¹ Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Series, No. 1082.