Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T06:00:32.220Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute and housing environment on the performance of calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. D. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Scottish Farm Buildings Investigation Unit, Craibstone, Bucksbum, Aberdeen, AB2 9TQ
P. J. Broadbent
Affiliation:
The North of Scotland College of Agriculture, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
Get access

Summary

1. Thirty-six Ayrshire and 48 Friesian male calves were used in two separate experiments to examine the effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute in two different housing environments. The calves were weaned when the daily intake of air-dry, milk substitute plus concentrates per head reached 1·59 kg, provided at least 0·45 kg of this intake was from concentrates.

2. The feeding systems affected the total consumption of milk substitute (P< 0·001) and created differences in live weight at weaning. The housing environments affected the age at weaning (P< 0·001) and the intake of milk substitute (P< 0·001).

3. The extra capital cost involved in a ‘controlled environment’ type of calf house does not appear to be justifiable in terms of calf health or performance when compared with the performance of calves in a ‘climatic’ house in the north-east of Scotland.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bourne, F. J. 1969. Housing the young calf. Vet. Rec. 85: 643649.Google ScholarPubMed
Brambell, F. W. R. 1965. Report of the technical committee to enquire into the welfare of animals kept under intensive livestock husbandry systems. (Cmnd 2836). Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Broadbent, P. J. 1973. A note on the effects of frequency and method of feeding milk substitute on the performance of Friesian and Ayrshire calves. Anim.Prod. 17: 333336.Google Scholar
Broadbent, P. J., Dodsworth, T. L. and Ball, C. 1969. The effect of plane of nutrition during calfhood on the subsequent performance of Hereford × Ayrshire steers. Anim. Prod. 11: 155160.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Jimenez, E. and Blaxter, K. L. 1962. The metabolism and thermal regulation of calves in the first month of life. Br. J. Nutr. 16: 199212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helps, M. B. 1968. Calf housing studies. Agriculture, Lond. 75: 557561.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. 1971. The development of solid food intake in calves. 5. The relationship between liquid and solid food intake. Anim. Prod. 13: 593597.Google Scholar
Hussain, M. Z. 1963. Factors affecting the performance of early weaned calves. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. and Yarrow, N. H. 1972. Rearing of dairy cattle. 2. Weaning calves according to their concentrate intake. Anim. Prod. 14: 161165.Google Scholar
Mitchell, C. D. 1972a. Some environmental aspects of calf housing—a review. Farm Build. R and D studies 02. January 1972: 319.Google Scholar
Mitchell, C. D. 1972b. Climatic calf housing—Experimental studies. Farm Build. R and D studies 03. November 1972: 1939.Google Scholar
Mitchell, C. D. and Baxter, S. H. 1969. Climatic housing for calves. Farm Bldg. Prog. (17). 01 1969.Google Scholar
Noton, N. H. 1967. Calf housing. A comparative investment analysis. Farm Building Centre. 06 1967.Google Scholar
Pointer, C. G. 1970. Calf rearing—environmental requirements of the calf. A.D.A. Conf., Reading. 02. 1969.Google Scholar
Preston, T. R. 1967. Calf rearing. Bull. Min. Agric. Fish. Fd, No. 10.Google Scholar
Pringle, R. T. and Rutter, W. 1972. Milk substitute by pipeline. Agriculture, Lond. 79: 531535.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. 1964. The nutrition of intensively reared calves. Vet. Rec. 76: 511526.Google Scholar
Solovev, F. A. 1955. [Conditions for raising calves in unheated buildings in Eastern Siberia.] Veterinariya, Moscow 32: 7883.Google Scholar
Stottmeister, W. and Muller, J. 1960. Calf rearing in open stalls. J. Dtsch. Landw. Berl. 11:613615.Google Scholar