30The effects of oral administration of a prebiotic (cellooligosaccharide [CE]) and a 31 combination of a probiotic (a commercial Clostridium butyricum strain) and prebiotics 32 (referred to as symbiotics [SB]) on performance and intestinal ecology in Holstein 33 calves fed milk replacer (MR) or whole milk were evaluated. Forty female calves 34 (experiment 1) and fourteen male and female calves (experiment 2) were used in this 35 study. Calves were fed MR (experiment 1) or whole milk (experiment 2) necessary for 36 daily weight gain of 0.3 kg based on birth weight in two daily feedings and weaned at 37 46 d. Calves were divided into a CE feeding group, SB feeding group (only in 38 experiment 1), and control group. The CE and SB groups were fed CE at 5 g/day before 39 weaning and 10 g/day postweaning. Only the SB group received 10 8 colony-forming 40 units (CFU) of Cl. butyricum culture per day. Commercial calf starter was offered for ad 41 libitum intake. Health and feed intake of the animals were monitored daily, and body 42 weight were measured weekly. Fecal samples were analyzed for determination of 43 bacterial community composition by an RNA-based method (sequence-specific SSU 44 rRNA cleavage method) and for organic acid profiling. In 49-day experiments, feed 45 intake, daily gain, and occurrence of diarrhea of the calves were unaffected by either CE 46 supplementation or SB supplementation, and all calves were healthy during each 47 experiment. The fecal bacterial community compositions and the organic acid profiles 48were not different among groups in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the level of the Cl. 49 coccoides-Eu. rectale group was higher in the feces of CE group than controls at 4 50 weeks of age and fecal butyric acid concentration was higher (8.0 vs. 12.2 [mmol/kg 51 feces], P < 0.05) at that time. There were no differences in prebiotic bacteria (the genera 52Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) between groups at this time point. These results 53 suggested that CE and Cl. butyricum supplementation have less effect on the 54 3 performance of healthy calves fed MR. However, prebiotic supplementation seems 55 effective for modulation of the intestinal bacterial community of calves when 56 administered with whole milk. 57 58
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