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Dairy Department, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana
ABSTRACT
Twenty-eight Holstein bull calves were used on a 21-day weaning system to determine the value of cud-inoculation and feeding of hay free-choice or incorporated into the starter. The calves were divided into four groups: Group I, Starter A with hay free-choice from 43rd day; Group II, Starter A with hay free-choice from eighth day; Groups III and IV, Starter B with 32.55% hay incorporated. The first three groups were inoculated at 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days of age.
Calves in the four groups gained an average of 1.04, 1.12, 1.09, and 1.00 lb, respectively, during the eight- to 70-day experimental period. The differences were not statistically significant.
Starter consumption increased rapidly as milk was withdrawn. Feed intakes and utilization after 21 days of age were adequate for maintenance plus a satisfactory weight gain. The two groups of calves fed hay free-choice consumed 12.4 and 18.2 lb hay during the experiment, compared to 58.9 and 53.8 lb by calves fed hay incorporated in the starter. Calves fed the starter with hay incorporated consumed 28.5 lb less grain and gained 2.2 lb less weight. Thus, hay can not only be force-fed at an early age but it can be utilized by the calf.
When hay was offered free-choice, some calves consumed very little. As a consequence, there was less rumen development and, in some cases, hyperkeratosis of the rumen, erosion of the rumen wall, and rumen plaques.
Cud-inoculation had little value in the 21-day weaning system.
1 Published with the approval of the Director of the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Series Paper No. 1778.
2 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Fellowship. Present address: The West of Scotland Agriculture College, Glasgow, Scotland.
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