1553
Supplementation of lysine and methionine in the starter concentrate or milk replacer of dairy calves
Concentrate and milk replacer available in Brazil are deficient in lysine and methionine for dairy calves, which may benefit from supplementation. Forty-five newborn Holstein male calves were used in a randomized complete block designed experiment and assigned into one of three treatments: 1) Control: no amino acid (AA) supplementation; 2) Starter concentrate: supplementation of lysine and methionine in the concentrate starter to reach daily intakes of 17 g/d and 5.3 g/d, respectively; 3) Milk replacer: supplementation of lysine and methionine in the milk replacer to reach daily intakes of 17 g/d and 5.3 g/d, respectively. Calves were housed in individual shelters, with free access to water, and were fed starter concentrate and 6 L/d of milk replacer (20% CP, 16% ether extract, and 12.5% solids), divided into two meals, until the 8 wk of life, when they were weaned. Starter concentrate and milk replacer intakes, as well as fecal scores were monitored daily. Body weight, withers height, heart girth and hip width were weekly measured. Data suggest that amino acid supplementation in the concentrate decreased solid feed intake, reducing total dry matter intake after weaning and consequently calves’ final body weight (Table 1). Amino acid supplementation have no beneficial effects on dairy calves’ performance.
Table 1. Performance of dairy calves receiving starter concentrate or milk replacer supplemented with lysine and methionine
|
Control |
Starter Concentrate |
Milk replacer |
SEM |
P< |
Body weight, kg |
|
|
|
|
|
Initial |
39.5 |
38.9 |
41.2 |
1.69 |
1.000 |
At weaning |
53.5 a |
47.4 b |
48.9 b |
1.68 |
0.023 |
Final |
61.1 a |
50.6 b |
53.4 b |
1.68 |
0.023 |
Daily gain, g |
|
|
|
|
|
Before weaning |
245.2 |
168.6 |
173.2 |
31.46 |
0.167 |
After weaning |
539.7 |
214.2 |
358.8 |
105.6 |
0.11 |
Starter intake, g/d |
|
|
|
|
|
At weaning |
429.9 |
155.8 |
270.1 |
97.98 |
0.230 |
Final |
1,529.9 |
1,035.9 |
1,278.9 |
97.98 |
0.230 |
Total dry matter intake, g/d |
|
|
|
|
|
Before weaning |
880.9 |
805.4 |
813.0 |
31.4 |
0.182 |
After weaning |
1329.9 a |
770.5 b |
1089.6 ab |
146.9 |
0.04 |
Feed efficiency, daily gain/total intake |
0.26 |
0.11 |
0.21 |
0.05 |
0.091 |
Fecal score |
1.68 |
1.92 |
1.83 |
0.07 |
0.077 |
Height withers gain, cm/week |
0.68 |
0.52 |
0.59 |
0.07 |
0.290 |
Heart girth gain, cm/week |
1.15 |
0.83 |
0.89 |
0.12 |
0.114 |
Hip width gain, cm/week |
0.30 |
0.20 |
0.27 |
0.06 |
0.206 |
ab means with different subscripts differ (P<0.5)
|
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Keywords: amino acids, growth, milk-feeding period