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The value of rumen inoculations and of diets containing sweetening agents for calves weaned on to dry food at three weeks of age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2016

T. R. Preston*
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire
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Extract

The successful outcome of early weaning and dry feeding of calves would appear to depend upon, among other things, the early establishment in the calf’s rumen of a microbial association similar to that in the adult ruminant. Inoculating the rumen of such calves with’ rumen contents from older animals might be a method of hastening this development.

In an earlier experiment in this series (Preston, 1956), it was found that by substituting linseed cake meal in place of dried skimmed milk in the meal mixture caused a reduction in consumption of the mixture and adversely affected growth rate. This indicated that it might be beneficial to incorporate in the diet some form of sweetening agent.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1958

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References

Heald, P. J., & Oxford, A. E., 1953. Fermentation of soluble sugars by anaerobic holotrich ciliate protozoa of the genera Isotricha and Dasytricha . Biochem J., 53: 506.Google Scholar
Pounden, W. D., & Hibbs, J. W., 1948a. The influence of the ration and rumen inoculation on the establishment of certain microorganisms in the rumens of young calves. J. Dairy Sci, 31: 1041.Google Scholar
Pounden, W. D., & Hibbs, J. W., 1948b. The influence of the ratio of grain to hay in the ration of dairy calves on certain rumen microorganisms. J.Dairy Sci , 31: 1051.Google Scholar
Preston, T. R., 1956. Studies on the rearing of calves weaned from milk between two and four weeks of age. Proc. Brit. Soc. Anim. Prod., 1956: 67.Google Scholar