Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T23:50:28.527Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of feeding level and protein content of milk replacer on the performance of dairy herd replacements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

S. J. Morrison ,
H. C. F. Wicks ,
R. J. Fallon ,
J. Twigge ,
L. E. R. Dawson ,
A. R. G. Wylie  and
A. F. Carson
S. J. Morrison*
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
H. C. F. Wicks
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
R. J. Fallon
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
J. Twigge
Affiliation:
Nutreco Ruminant Research Centre, 5830 AE Boxmeer, The Netherlands
L. E. R. Dawson
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
A. R. G. Wylie
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
A. F. Carson
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

It has been suggested that United Kingdom recommendations for feeding the neonatal calf (∼500 g milk replacer (MR)/day; ∼200–230 g CP/kg milk powder) are inadequate to sustain optimal growth rates in early life. The current study was undertaken with 153 high genetic merit, male and female Holstein-Friesian calves (PIN2000 = £48) born between September and March, with heifers reared and bred to calve at 24 months of age. Calves were allocated to one of four pre-weaning dietary treatments arranged in a 2 MR feeding level (5 v. 10 l/day) × 2 MR protein content (210 v. 270 g CP/kg dry matter (DM)) factorial design. MR was reconstituted at a rate of 120 g/l of water, throughout, and was offered via computerised automated milk feeders. Calves were introduced to pre-weaning diets at 5 days of age and weaned at day 56. During the first 56 days of life, calves offered 10 l MR/day had significantly higher liveweight gains (P < 0.001) than calves fed 5 l MR/day. No significant differences in liveweight gain were found between calves fed 210 g CP/kg DM MR and those fed 270 g CP/kg DM MR from birth to day 56. Differences in live weight and body size due to feeding level disappeared by day 90. Neither MR feeding level nor MR CP content affected age at first service or age at successful service, and with no milk production effects, the results indicate no post-weaning benefits of increased nutrition during the milk-feeding period in dairy heifers.

Keywords

calf nutritionheifer rearingmilk replacerprotein
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 3 , Issue 11 , November 2009 , pp. 1570 - 1579
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

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

Aikman, PC, Gould, M, Bleach, ECL 2007. First lactation milk yield and fertility of Holstein heifers reared using three milk replacer feeding regimes. Journal of Dairy Science 90 (suppl. 1), 112.Google Scholar
Ballard, C, Wolford, H, Sato, T, Uchida, K, Suekawa, M, Yabuuchi, Y, Kobayashi, K 2005. The effect of feeding three milk replacer regimes preweaning on first lactation performance of Holstein dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 22 (abstract).Google Scholar
Bar-Peled, U, Robinson, B, Maltz, E, Tagari, H, Folman, Y, Bruckental, I, Voet, H, Gacitua, H, Lehrer, AR 1997. Increased weight gain and effects on production parameters of Holstein heifer calves that were allowed to suckle from birth to six weeks of age. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 2523–2528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bartlett, KS, McKeith, FK, VandeHaar, MJ, Dahl, GE, Drackley, JK 2006. Growth and body composition of dairy calves fed milk replacers containing different amounts of protein at two feeding rates. Journal of Animal Science 84, 1454–1467.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bell, JF, Bell, DJ 2005. Effects of an accelerated calf rearing programme on growth of dairy heifers from birth to ten weeks of age. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. PC Garnsworthy and J Wiseman), pp. 337–345. Nottingham University Press, UK.Google Scholar
Bleach, E, Gould, M, Blackie, N, Beever, D 2005. Growth performance of Holstein-Friesian heifer calves reared using three milk replacer rearing regimes. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. PC Garnsworthy and J Wiseman), pp. 347–357. Nottingham University Press, UK.Google Scholar
Blome, RM, Drackley, JK, McKeith, FK, Hutjens, MF, McCoy, GC 2003. Growth, nutrient utilization, and body composition of dairy calves fed milk replacers containing different amounts of protein. Journal of Animal Science 81, 1641–1655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, EG, VandeHaar, MJ, Daniels, KM, Liesman, JS, Chapin, LT, Keisler, DH, Weber Nielsen, MS 2005. Effect of increasing energy and protein intake on body growth and carcass composition of heifer calves. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 585–594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carson, AF, Dawson, LER, McCoy, MA, Kilpatrick, DJ, Gordon, FJ 2002. Effects of rearing regime on body size, reproductive performance and milk production during the first lactation in high genetic merit dairy herd replacements. Animal Science 74, 553–565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desai, M, Hales, CN 1997. Role of fetal and infant growth in programming metabolism in later life. Biological Reviews 72, 329–348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diaz, MC, Smith, JM, Van Amburgh, ME 1998. Nutrient requirements and management of the milk-fed calf. In Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference, pp. 130–141. Cornell University, Ithaca.Google Scholar
Diaz, MC, Van Amburgh, ME, Smith, JM, Kelsey, JM, Hutten, EL 2001. Composition of growth of Holstein calves fed milk replacer from birth to 105-kilogram body weight. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 830–842.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donnelly, PE, Hutton, JB 1976. Effects of dietary protein and energy on the growth of Friesian bull calves. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 19, 409–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drackley, JK 2000. Calf nutrition related to heifer growth and longevity. In Proceedings of the Minnesota Nutrition Conference, pp. 153–168. Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota.Google Scholar
Drackley, JK 2005. Early growth effects on subsequent health and performance of dairy heifers. In Calf and heifer rearing: principles of rearing the modern dairy heifer from calf to calving (ed. PC Garnsworthy), pp. 213–235. Nottingham University Press, UK.Google Scholar
Drackley, JK, Bartlett, KS 2001. Impact of early nutrition in calves on health and lifetime productivity. In Proceedings of the Intermountain Nutrition Conference, pp. 1–22. USA.Google Scholar
Drackley, JK, Blome, RM, Bartlett, KS, Bailey, KL 2006. Supplementation of 1% l-glutamine to milk replacer does not overcome the growth depression in calves caused by soy protein concentrate. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 1688–1693.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drackley, JK, Pollard, BC, Dann, HM, Stamey, JA 2007. First-lactation milk production for cows fed control or intensified milk replacer programs as calves. Journal of Dairy Science 90 (suppl. 1), 614 (abstract).Google Scholar
Edmondson, AJ, Lean, IJ, Weaver, JD, Farver, T, Webster, G 1989. A body condition scoring chart for Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 72, 68–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fallon, RJ 1983. The effect of feeding and management factors on calf performance. PhD, National University of Ireland, Dublin.Google Scholar
Fallon, RJ, Wicks, HCF, Twigge, J 2005. Effect of offering two levels of crude protein and two levels of milk replacer on calf performance. In Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting, 186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garnsworthy, PC (ed.) 2005. Modern calves and Heifers: challenges for rearing systems. In Calf and heifer rearing: principles of rearing the modern dairy heifer from calf to calving pp. 1–12. Nottingham University Press, UK.Google Scholar
Hill, TM, Aldrich, JM, Schlotterbeck, RL, Bateman, HG 2006. Effects of feeding rate and concentrations of protein and fat of milk replacers fed to neonatal calves. The Professional Animal Scientist 22, 374–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, TM, Bateman, HG, Aldrich, JM, Schlotterbeck, RL 2007. Effects of feeding rate of high protein calf milk replacers. The Professional Animal Scientist 23, 649–655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, SR, Knowlton, KF, Daniels, KM, James, RE, Pearson, RE, Capuco, AV, Akers, RM 2008a. Effects of milk replacer composition on growth, body composition and nutrient excretion in preweaned Holstein heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 3145–3155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, TM, Bateman, HG, Aldrich, JM, Schlotterbeck, RL 2008b. Effects of the amount of chopped hay or cottonseed hulls in a textured calf starter on young calf performance. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 2684–2693.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffman, PC 1997. Optimum body size of Holstein replacement heifers. Journal of Animal Science 75, 836–845.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jasper, J, Weary, DM 2002. Effects of ad libitum milk intake on dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 3054–3058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawes Agricultural Trust 2002. Genstat VI release 6.1. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK.Google Scholar
Leibholz, L 1973. Correlations between birth weights, weaning weights, 11-week weights, weight gains and feed conversion ratios of early weaned calves. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 13, 483–486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moallem, U, Werner, D, Lehrer, H, Katz, M, Livshitz, L, Bruckental, I, Shamay, A 2006. Effects of feeding ad-lib fresh milk or milk replacer during nursing and added protein at pre-puberty to Holstein heifers on growth rates and production during first lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 32 (abstract).Google Scholar
National Research Council 2001. Nutrient requirments of dairy cattle, 7th revised edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Pollard, BC, Dann, HM, Drackley, JK 2003. Evaluation of intensified liquid feeding programs for dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 86 (suppl. 1), 174.Google Scholar
Quigley, JD, Wolfe, TA, Elsasser, TH 2006. Effects of additional milk replacer feeding on calf health, growth, and selected blood metabolites in calves. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 207–216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shamay, A, Werner, D, Moallem, U, Barash, H, Bruckental, I 2005. Effect of nursing management and skeletal size at weaning on puberty, skeletal growth rate, and milk production during first lactation of dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1460–1469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Speijers, MHM, Langa, JRSO, Struthers, J, Twigge, J, Scaife, JS 2005. The performance of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey calves when fed two concentrations of a high-protein milk replacer. In Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science Annual Conference (ed. British Society of Animal Science). York, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terosky, TL, Heinrichs, AJ, Wilson, LL 1997. A comparison of milk protein sources in diets of calves up to eight weeks of age. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 2977–2983.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tikofsky, JN, Van Amburgh, ME, Ross, DA 2001. Effect of varying carbohydrate and fat content of milk replacer on body composition of Holstein bull calves. Journal of Animal Science 79, 2260–2267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Amburgh, M, Tikofsky, J, Smith, J 2001. Requirements for and regulation of growth of Holstein calves – implications for decreasing age at first calving. Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference 1991–2001, Michigan State University, USA, 113–131.Google Scholar
Williams, PEV, Frost, AI 1992. Feeding the young ruminant. In Neonatal survival and growth. Occasional publication no. 15 (ed. MA Varley, PEV Williams and TLJ Lawrence), pp. 109–118. British Society of Animal Production, Edinburgh, UK.Google Scholar
Wylie, ARG, Woods, S, Carson, AF, McCoy, M 2008. Periprandial changes in metabolite and metabolic hormone concentrations in high-genetic-merit dairy heifers and their relationship to energy balance in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 577–586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed