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Health and Performance of Calves with Forestomach-Bypass Fed Milk Replacer¹

Department of Dairy Science
Department of Veterinary Science, University of Maryland, College Park 20742
Animal Health Laboratory, Division of Animal Industries, Maryland State Department of Agriculture, College Park 20742

ABSTRACT

Ten male Holstein calves were placed in groups of two calves each on similarity of age. One calf in each group was subjected to forestomach bypass surgery at about 1 mo of age. Fortified commercial milk replacer with added minerals and vitamins was fed as the sole diet. The calves were housed indoors on slatted platforms. Weight gain was determined biweekly. Feed intake was determined daily. Necropsies were performed upon termination of the study. Recurrent ruminal bloat, fever, and anorexia of varying degrees and combinations occurred in four of the calves with forestomach bypass. Two of these calves showed slow weight gain. One of the four calves died following acute bloat while the other three calves were sacrificed following repeated episodes of bloat. The time of termination varied between 3 and 10 mo. One calf with forestomach bypass and all control calves appeared healthy throughout the experiment. Necropsies indicated that the ruminal bloat, seen in most of the forestomach-bypass calves, could be attributed to the back-flow of ingesta via the omasal-abomasal orifice. This ingesta appeared to produce gas which became trapped in the bypassed rumen.

¹ Scientific Article No. A-2107, Contribution No. 5064, of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, College Park 20742. This report constitutes part of a dissertation submitted by the senior author to die Graduate School of the University of Maryland in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. The investigation was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant GB-5610.

² Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, Behrend College, Erie 16510.

³ Department of Agriculture, Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe 71201.

⁴ Microbiological Associates, Walkersville, MD 21793.