Effects of supplementing pasteurized waste milk with vitamins A, D and E on fat-soluble vitamin status, growth, and health of calves

Abstract Text: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a milk supplement, MILKADE® (Stuart Products, Inc.), on growth, health and fat-soluble vitamin status of calves fed pasteurized whole milk. The MILKADE supplement contained 50,000 international units (IU) vitamin A as retinyl-palmitate, 50,000 IU vitamin D₃, and 500 IU vitamin E as RRR-α-tocopherol per milliliter of product.  Forty Holstein calves (19 bulls, 21 heifers) were enrolled at birth and assigned to either control (n = 18, no supplement), 0.25 mL MILKADE (0.25ADE, n = 12), or 0.5 mL MILKADE (0.5ADE, n = 10) treatments. Calves were provided 2.85 L of pasteurized waste milk twice per day and the supplement was added individually to the calves’ milk at the morning feeding.  Feed intake and health scores were recorded daily.  Bodyweight and height and serum samples were collected weekly from birth until 3 weeks (bulls) or 6 weeks (heifers) of age.  Responses to treatments were analyzed as repeated measures.  Serum retinol concentrations averaged near 400 ng/mL during the trial and were not different (P = 0.45) between treatment groups.  In contrast, control calves were vitamin D deficient throughout the trial with average 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D concentrations <10 ng/mL of serum, whereas, 25(OH)D concentrations of 0.25ADE and 0.5ADE calves reached 90 and 150 ng/mL of serum, respectively, after 3 weeks (P < 0.001).  Similarly, serum α-tocopherol concentrations of control calves remained below 1.5 μg/mL throughout the trial but reached approximately 4.5 μg/mL of serum for both 0.25ADE and 0.5ADE groups after 5 weeks (P < 0.05).  There was a treatment effect on overall body weight (P = 0.004) such that 0.25ADE and 0.5ADE calves weighed less than control calves (49.3 kg and 46.4 kg vs 52.1 kg, P  = 0.013 and P < 0.001, respectively) at 3 weeks of age.  However, there was no difference in BW of heifers at week 6 of the trial (P = 0.171). There was no difference in feed intake or fecal and respiratory scores between groups (P  > 0.05).  In conclusion, calves fed pasteurized whole milk are deficient in vitamins D and E.  Daily intakes for vitamins A and E were within ranges determined optimal for calves.  Upper limits for supplemental vitamin D have not been established but the high serum 25(OH)D of the supplemented calves indicates vitamin D intakes above 10,000 IU/d are perhaps excessive for neonatal calves.

Keywords: Dairy calves, nutrition, vitamins