Rearing of dairy cattle 2. Weaning calves according to their concentrate intake

Leaver, J. D.; Yarrow, N. H.

doi:10.1017/s0003356100010837

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…Weaning strategy becomes critical when larger volumes of milk are fed, because solid feed intake establishes ruminal fermentation, thereby triggering physical and metabolic development of the calf (Baldwin et al, 2004). To date, several weaning strategies have been developed, including concentrate intake dependence (Leaver and Yarrow, 1972;Greenwood et al, 1997;Roth et al, 2009;de Passillé and Rushen, 2012), step-down milk reduction (Khan et al, 2007), and lengthening the duration of the weaning period (Terré et al, 2006;Hill et al, 2012). However, there has been a lack of emphasis on determining the effect of weaning age on intake, digestive tract development, and behavior when calves are fed larger quantities of milk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weaning age affects growth, feed intake, gastrointestinal development, and behavior in Holstein calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition during the preweaning stage

Eckert

Brown

Leslie

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

144

150

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Recent research has revealed potential advantages of feeding an elevated plane of nutrition to calves during the preweaning period. However, calves fed more nutrients preweaning may be more susceptible to depressed growth and weaning stress during the transition from liquid to solid feed. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the age of weaning and feed intake, and its influence on growth, gastrointestinal development, and behavioral indicators in dairy calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition during the preweaning period. To meet this objective, 20 female Holstein calves were randomly assigned at birth to be weaned at 6 or 8 wk. Milk replacer (mixed at 150 g/L) was offered at 1.2 kg/calf per day in 2 meals until a 1-wk step-down, when meals were reduced by 50% 1 wk before weaning. Daily starter, chopped oat straw, water intake, and weekly body weights were measured until d 70 of life. To assess digestive tract development, rumen fluid, fecal, and blood samples were taken before and after weaning (d 35, 49, and 63) and analyzed for ruminal short-chain fatty acids, blood β-hydroxybutyrate, and fecal starch, respectively. Behavioral indicators of weaning stress, including vocalizing and non-nutritive oral behavior, were measured by visual observation for 1 h, 3 times per week, before the second feeding of the day during the period from 2 wk before weaning to 2 wk after weaning. The calves weaned at 8 wk compared with 6 wk had higher average daily gain for the week preweaning (0.79±0.09 vs. 0.34±0.10 kg/d) and postweaning (1.05±0.09 vs. 0.35±0.11 kg/d), and were heavier at d 70 (99.9±1.81 vs. 91.0±2.26 kg). From 5 to 8 wk of age, starter and water intakes were lower in calves weaned at 8 wk of age. However, overall starter intake did not differ during the last week of the experiment. Furthermore, calves weaned at 8 wk compared with 6 wk had higher starter intake for 1 wk preweaning (1.36±0.13 vs. 0.40±0.08 kg/d) and postweaning (2.51±0.20 vs. 1.16±0.15 kg/d). In both treatments, weaning increased ruminal short-chain fatty acids, blood β-hydroxybutyrate, and fecal starch, yet the differences between the week before and after weaning were greater for calves weaned at 6 wk compared with those weaned at 8 wk. Treatment × week relative to weaning interactions indicated that several behaviors varied between early- and later-weaned calves during the week before weaning; calves weaned at 6 wk tended to exhibit 75% more non-nutritive oral behavior and spent 55% less time ruminating, and 36% less time lying compared with calves weaned at 8 wk. Under the conditions of this study, the results suggest that calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition preweaning have higher starter intakes and average daily gain during the weaning period when weaning is extended from 6 to 8 wk of age.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weaning age affects growth, feed intake, gastrointestinal development, and behavior in Holstein calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition during the preweaning stage

Eckert

Brown

Leslie

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

144

150

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“…The average food cost per calf from collection to weaning in the 'climatic' house (£3-89) was lower than in the 'controlled' house (£4-78) as also was the average total food cost from collection to 91 kg (£5-47 compared with £6-00). Selection of a weaning point at a lower concentrate intake, for instance when the calves are eating 0-4 kg/day of concentrates, as suggested by Leaver and Yarrow (1972), would reduce the quantities of milk substitute still further and reduce total food costs for each treatment. Results by Hussain (1963), Roy (1964) and Leaver and Yarrow (1972) indicate that the feeding of low levels of milk substitute would give a low level of nutritional scours.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Selection of a weaning point at a lower concentrate intake, for instance when the calves are eating 0-4 kg/day of concentrates, as suggested by Leaver and Yarrow (1972), would reduce the quantities of milk substitute still further and reduce total food costs for each treatment. Results by Hussain (1963), Roy (1964) and Leaver and Yarrow (1972) indicate that the feeding of low levels of milk substitute would give a low level of nutritional scours. The lower overall consumption of milk substitute in the climatic house could result in a lower level of nutritional scours due to environmental as opposed to nutritional factors.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute and housing environment on the performance of calves

Mitchell¹,

Broadbent²

1973

Anim. Sci.

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Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/ abstract_S0003356100017037How to cite this article: C. D. Mitchell and P. J. Broadbent (1973). The effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute and housing environment on the performance of calves. SUMMARY 1. Thirty-six Ayrshire and 48 Friesian male calves were used in two separate experiments to examine the effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute in two different housing environments. The calves were weaned when the daily intake of air-dry, milk substitute plus concentrates per head reached 1 -59 kg, provided at least 0-45 kg of this intake was from concentrates. 2. The feeding systems affected the total consumption of milk substitute (P< 0-001) and created differences in live weight at weaning. The housing environments affected the age at weaning (P< 0-001) and the intake of milk substitute (P< 0-001). 3. The extra capital cost involved in a 'controlled environment' type of calf house does not appear to be justifiable in terms of calf health or performance when compared with the performance of calves in a 'climatic' house in the north-east of Scotland.

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“…Therefore, methods of weaning based on intake were developed to account for variation associated with intake of solid feed. Leaver and Yarrow (1972) offered calves two levels of milk replacer (320 or 480 g) and weaned when calves were consuming 400, 650, or 900 g of starter. It was noted that calves of higher birth weight reached required levels of intake for weaning more rapidly than smaller calves.…”

Section: Criteria For Weaningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of forage addition to the diet on rumen development in calves

Booth

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Rearing of dairy cattle 2. Weaning calves according to their concentrate intake

Cited by 24 publications

References 1 publication

Weaning age affects growth, feed intake, gastrointestinal development, and behavior in Holstein calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition during the preweaning stage

Weaning age affects growth, feed intake, gastrointestinal development, and behavior in Holstein calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition during the preweaning stage

The effect of level and method of feeding milk substitute and housing environment on the performance of calves

Effect of forage addition to the diet on rumen development in calves

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