Optimal Concentrations of Lysine, Methionine, and Threonine in Milk Replacers for Calves Less than Five Weeks of Age

Abstract

The AA requirements of herd-replacement calves less than 5 wk old and fed milk replacers are not clearly defined and have been estimated in a limited number of studies using milk-fed calves ranging from 5 to 20 wk of age. The objective of these 4 studies was to investigate the effect of supplementing milk replacers containing 24 to 28% crude protein (CP; from milk sources) and 17% fat with Lys, Met, and Thr to estimate the optimum requirements for calves less than 5 wk of age. Holstein bull calves (initially 3 and 4 d old, 43 +/- 1 kg of body weight, BW) were fed an 18% CP (as-fed) starter ad libitum and weaned at 31 to 32 d of age (28-d studies). Calves were housed in an unheated, curtain-sided nursery. In study 1, 6 milk replacer treatments were fed based on the combination of 3 CP concentrations (24, 26, and 28% CP) each with or without added Lys and Met. In studies 2 and 3, 26% CP and 2.34% Lys milk replacer treatments were fed to test the concentration of Met (0.64, 0.68, and 0.72% Met in study 2 and 0.64, 0.72, and 0.80% Met in study 3). In study 4, 26% CP, 2.34% Lys, and 0.72% Met milk replacer treatments were fed to test the concentration of Thr (1.06, 1.43, and 1.80%). There was a 17% improvement in average daily gain (ADG) in study 1 from adding Lys and Met that was maximized with 2.34% Lys. The ADG response to added Met in studies 2 (linear) and 3 (quadratic) were 13 and 7%, respectively, with a plateau at 0.72% Met. There was no ADG or efficiency response to added Thr in study 4. Formulating 17% fat, whey-based milk replacers fed at 0.68 kg/d to 26% CP, 2.34% Lys, and 0.72% Met appeared optimum based on responses of body weight gain, feed efficiency, and serum concentrations of urea nitrogen, while feeding calves more CP and essential AA did not improved ADG and efficiency. Requirements for calves less than 5 wk old, averaging 48 kg of BW, consuming 204 g of CP/d, and gaining 0.46 kg of BW/d, appeared to be met with 17 g of Lys, 0.31 Met:Lys ratio, 0.54 Met+Cys:Lys ratio, and a Thr:Lys ratio less than 0.60.

Assessment of the effect of methionine supplementation and inclusion of hydrolyzed wheat protein in milk protein-based milk replacers on the performance of intensively fed Holstein calves

“…At observed CP, Lys, and Met concentrations of about 29, 2.59, and 0.57% DM in the SMWP diet, the respective average nutrient intakes must have been approximately 275, 25, and 5.41 g/d, with a concomitant observed ADG, Lys efficiency, and Met efficiency of around 0.89 kg/d, 38 g of BW gain/g of Lys, and 165 g of BW gain/g of Met (data not shown for first 4 wk). Hill et al (2008b) reported maximal ADG of 0.46 kg/d with CP, Lys, and Met intakes of 204, 17, and 5.3 g/d, respectively, for calves fed about 0.65 kg of DM/d of a 26% CP/17 fat milk replacer. Based on those findings, Hill et al (2008b) established a requirement for calves less than 5 wk old averaging 48 kg of BW and fed 0.65 kg of DM/d to be met with 17 g/d of Lys and 0.31 Met:Lys.…”

“…Hill et al (2008b) reported maximal ADG of 0.46 kg/d with CP, Lys, and Met intakes of 204, 17, and 5.3 g/d, respectively, for calves fed about 0.65 kg of DM/d of a 26% CP/17 fat milk replacer. Based on those findings, Hill et al (2008b) established a requirement for calves less than 5 wk old averaging 48 kg of BW and fed 0.65 kg of DM/d to be met with 17 g/d of Lys and 0.31 Met:Lys. From their data it is possible to calculate their Lys and Met efficiency must have been around 27 and 87 g of BW gain per g of Lys and Met, respectively.…”

“…Therefore, it appears that calves in the present study attained an approximately 93% higher ADG, 40% higher Lys efficiency, and 90% higher Met efficiency with 35, 47, and 2% greater CP, Lys, and Met intakes and Met:Lys at 0.21. A major difference in the 2 studies was the feeding rate, which in the case of Hill et al (2008b) was set at 0.65 kg of DM/d compared with 0.95 kg of DM/d on average for the first 4 wk in our study. Thus, the 0.27 kg of DM/d additional intake in our study likely led calves to be responsive to the additional AA supply (Schroeder and Titgemeyer, 2008;Zanton and Heinrichs, 2008).…”

“…On the other hand, it has been suggested that Lys and Met are actually low in milk proteins, that they can be limiting in calves (Hill et al, 2008a,b), and that addition of crystalline Lys and Met to achieve about 2.34 and 0.72% of DM, respectively, in milk proteinbased milk replacers could improve calf performance (Hill et al, 2008b).…”

Effects of Supplemental Lysine on Performance, Antibody Titer and Rectal Temperature in Response to a Modified-Live Viral Vaccine in Neonatal Calves

“…In vitro studies have shown lysine has a replication-inhibiting capability of the herpes virus (Maggs et al, 2000). Since IBR is the result of a herpes virus infection, there may be an altered response to the common IBR vaccination when lysine is supplemented at concentrations exceeding requirements of 17g/d determined by Hill et al (2007). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a lysine supplementation on a modified-live viral respiratory vaccine.…”