Effect of the Number of Concentrate Feeding Places per Pen for First Two Weeks after Farm Arrival on Concentrate Consumption and Performance in Milk-Fed Holstein Calves.

Stressors like road transport and commingling cause a transitory anorexia during the first week at farm entrance in milk-fed calves. This circumstance has also negative effects on performance and health, as an inadequate feeding may compromise digestion and immune system. Increasing the number of concentrate feeding places (FP) per pen the first two weeks after arrival could enhance concentrate intake and calves’ vitality. Three hundred and fifty Holstein male calves (59 ± 0.6 kg of BW and 30 ± 2.7 d of age), from 2 herds, were used in a randomized design to evaluate the effect of increasing FP on concentrate intake and performance in milk-fed calves throughout a 44-d study. Calves were allocated in 16 pens of 11 animals provided with concentrate and straw feeders, with 5 FP, and one water bowl. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 treatments according to the number of FP per pen: 5 vs. 10 FP, where an additional feeder was placed the first two weeks after farm arrival in pens. All calves were fed a milk replacer (23% CP, 19% fat; DM basis) in 1.5 L water as follows: 360 g/d the week 1, 330 g/d during weeks 2 and 3, 300 g/d week 4, and 210 g/d during week 5. Concentrate (2.93 Mcal of ME/kg, 17% CP; DM basis), straw and water were offered ad libitum. Milk replacer intake and health status were recorded daily, and concentrate and straw intake, and BW weekly. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model with repeated measures. No effects of the number of FP per pen were observed in concentrate consumption, performance (Table 1), and health outcomes. The temporal increase of FP, the first two weeks after farm arrival, did not have a positive impact on consumption and performance. Thus, this strategy was not effective to facilitate feed access, stimulate the intake, and palliate the negative consequences of transitory anorexia after the transportation.

Table 1.Concentrate intake and performance of milk-fed calves allocated in pens with 5 or 10 FP (11 calves/pen) during the 44-d study.

	FP		SEM	P-value
Item	5	10
Final BW, kg	94.0	94.9	3.95	0.37
Final age, d	74.1	74.9	2.79	0.48
Consumption, kg DM/d
Milk replacer	0.28	0.28	0.021	0.85
Concentrate	1.68	1.70	0.095	0.63
Straw	0.12	0.13	0.019	0.13
Total	2.00	2.02	0.104	0.49
ADG, kg/d	0.79	0.79	0.032	0.85
Feed efficiency, kg/kg	0.42	0.42	0.022	0.96