Effect of milk replacer feeding frequency and level on concentrate intake and rearing performance of calves

Abstract

Fifty-four Black-and-White bull calves divided into 5 groups of 10-11 animals aged from 6-8 to 120 days, were used to study the effect of liquid feeding frequency and the amount of milk replacer on concentrate intake and rearing performance. The milk replacer contained: dried skim milk, whey, buttermilk, and processed soya protein. The liquid feed was fed from 7 to 56 days of age once (S), twice (D) or three (T) times a day at limited feeding (L and L1/2 or feeding to appetite (V). The intake of milk replacer per calf in the experimental period was: 54 kg (groups SL, DL, TL), 27 kg (group SL1/2) or 87 kg of dried milk replacer (group TV). In groups SL, DL, TL, SL1/2 and TV, the liquid feed contained 155.5 g of solid milk replacer per kg of solution, and in group SV, 262 g of milk replacer per kg solution. All of the calves received concentrate to appetite and meadow hay (0.1-0.3 kg/day). It was found that at a similar intake of milk replacer (51 kg DM/calf), and once-daily liquid feeding compared with feeding twice and three times a day, daily weight gains were lower during the liquid feeding period, decreasing by 23% (594 g/day) despite an approximately 20% higher intake of concentrate. For the whole experimental period, these differences were insignificant at 7 and 4%, respectively. Calves of group SL1/2 consumed a similar amount of concentrate and achieved similar weight gains as those from group SL, which received twice as much milk replacer. In the other groups, calves consumed less concentrate but had higher daily liveweight gains. Feeding liquid feed (83 kg DM/calf) to appetite did not significantly affect daily concentrate intake and weight gains of calves in group TV compared with groups DL and TL, both during the liquid feeding period (838, 754 and 788 g/day, respectively) and during the whole experimental period (1080, 1026 and 1065 g/day, respectively). In all the groups after weaning, compensatory growth resulted in high daily weight gains of calves above 1200 g/day (P>0.05). The highest compensatory growth was found in groups SL and SL1/2.