Effect of different forage sources on performance and feeding behavior of Holstein calves

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 2012-01, Vol.95 (1), p.286-293
• Main Authors: Castells, Ll, Bach, A., Araujo, G., Montoro, C., Terré, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alfalfa; Animal productions; Animals; Animals, Newborn - growth & development; average daily gain; barley straw; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; calf; calves; Cattle - growth & development; corn silage; crude protein; Dairying - methods; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; digestibility; digestible protein; Eating; Feed and pet food industries; feed intake; Feeding Behavior; Food industries; forage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hay; Holstein; ingestion; Male; milk replacer; neutral detergent fiber; oats; odds ratio; organic matter; rumination; Terrestrial animal productions; triticale; Vertebrates; weaning; wood shavings
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.2011-4405

One hundred seventy-nine Holstein male calves [44.7kg of body weight (BW) and 8.3 d of age] participated in a series of 3 experiments to evaluate the effect of different forage sources on performance, apparent digestibility, and feeding behavior. Animals in each study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 different dietary treatments: control (CON) calves were fed starter feed without any forage provision (this treatment was repeated in each of the 3 experiments), and the 2 other treatments consisted of the same starter feed plus a forage source: chopped alfalfa (AH) or rye-grass hay (RH) in the first study; chopped oat hay (OH) or chopped barley straw (BS) in the second study; corn silage (CS) or triticale silage (TS) in the third study. All calves were offered 2L of milk replacer (MR) at 12.5% dry matter (DM) twice daily via a bottle until 50 d of age, and 2L of MR at 12.5% DM during the week before weaning (57 d of age). The study finished when calves were 71 d old. Starter feed, MR, and forage intakes were recorded daily and BW weekly. Calves were individually housed and bedded with wood shavings. Compared with CON, animals receiving OH, TS, and BS consumed more starter feed (0.88 vs. 1.14, 1.17, 1.06kg/d, respectively) and had greater average daily gain (0.72 vs. 0.93, 0.88, 0.88kg/d, respectively). Animals in treatments RH, BS, CS, and TS consumed less forage (51g/d) than AH (120g/d) and OH (101g/d) calves. Apparent organic matter, DM, and neutral detergent fiber digestibilities did not differ among treatments (81.5, 81.1, and 54.4%, respectively). Apparent crude protein digestibility was greater in RH, CS, and AH treatments than in CON (80.5 vs. 76.4%, respectively). Compared with CON calves, animals in the AH treatment spent less time eating starter feed and lying, animals in AH and RH treatments spent more time ruminating, with odds ratios (OR) of 5.24 and 5.40, respectively. The AH and RH calves devoted less time to performing nonnutritive oral behaviors (OR: 0.38 and 0.34, respectively), and TS calves tended to devote less time to perform nonnutritive oral behaviors (OR: 0.21) 1h after being offered MR and solid feed. In conclusion, free-choice provision of a forage source to young calves improves feed intake and performance without impairing digestibilities of DM, organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber, and, depending on forage source, reduces nonnutritive oral behaviors and stimulates rumination.