The basal metabolism of the newborn calf

Abstract

T h e first measurements of the basal metabolism of the young calf were reported by Brody (1930), who used the indirect calorimetric method of measuring oxygen consumption by means of a closed-circuit spirometer. Determinations were made on forty-three calves of less than 3 weeks of age but most of the values obtained were restricted to ages of 10-21 days. No definite trends during the first 3 weeks of life were observed and with two calves values obtained on consecutive days from birth showed a high variability. Brody concluded, from a consideration of mean heat production at monthly intervals, that resting metabolism/kg body-weight increased from birth to 2 months of age and decreased rapidly thereafter. When expressed on the basis of body-surface area, however, metabolism increased steadily to 6 months of age and then remained constant or tended to decline. Recently, Hawkins, Pope, Roy, Shillam, Ingram & Greatorex (1957) have shown a marked change in pulse and respiration rate during the first 3 weeks of life of calves given 400 ml. separated colostrum followed by whole milk at the rate of I lb./Io lb. live weight and growing normally under the conditions of low ' infection' reported by Roy, Palmer, Shillam, Ingram & Wood (1955). The mean pulse rate of forty-four calves, which was about 110 beatslmin on the 1st day of life, fell rapidly during the 1st week and then more slowly to the value of 75-80 by the end of the 3rd week. Respiration rates showed the same trend, falling from a value of 45 respirations/min on the 1st day of life to 22-25 by the end of the 3rd week. This pattern was similar to that found by Lewis & Ralston (1953) for the concentration of plasma-proteinbound iodine in the calf.As it is well known that the heat production of an animal is roughly proportional to its pulse rate, it seemed necessary to investigate whether this relationship was valid in the very young calf. If such a relationship did exist, it would indicate that the maintenance requirement of the calf during the first 2 weeks of life was considerably higher than during the 3rd week.

The post‐natal changes in minimal metabolic rate in the pig

“…The mechanisms responsible for the post-natal rise found in various species are not known. Even less is known about the subsequent rapid fall in minimal metabolic rate which has been observed in calves (Roy et al 1957) and in the present experiments with pigs, or about the prolonged fall seen in rats over the period between 3 and 34 weeks (Denckla, 1970).…”

“…The rise in minimal metabolic rate in new-born animals (Barcroft Flexner & McClurkin, 1934;Dawes & Mott, 1959;Dawes, Jacobson, Mott & Shelley, 1960;Mount, 1959;Roy, Huffman & Reineke, 1957;Taylor, 1960) and human babies (BrUck, 1961;Hill & Rahimtula, 1965) is well established and is connected with efficiency of heat production and stability of internal body temperature after birth. The mechanisms responsible for the post-natal rise found in various species are not known.…”

The metabolic rate of the new‐born pig in relation to environmental temperature and to age

“…5). Roy, Huffman & Reineke (1957) have measured metabolic rate in the calf in the new-born period, and find that heat production increases after birth to a maximum between the second and fourth days of life, and then falls rapidly until the eighth day, after which it falls more slowly. They made their observations in environmental temperatures ranging from 7 to 180 C and recorded a maximum heat production rate of 83 kcal/ mi2.…”

Nutrition and climatic stress in farm animals

“…Similar information is not available for lambs and calves, but in view of the small amount of subcutaneous fat in newborn sheep and cattle and the high immediate postnatal mortality of these animals in cold weather it might appear that they too are not well insulated against cold. T h e metabolic rate of the calf at birth is certainly lower than it is a week later, which would be a contributing factor (Roy, Huffman & Reineke, 1957).…”