Meysam Kanani; Shahryar Kargar; Mohammad Javad Zamiri; Seyed Mehdi Ghoreishi
Volume 21, Issue 3 , September 2019, , Pages 321-328
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) with corn silage (CS) in the finely ground starter diet on health status and blood biochemical parameters of male Holstein calves during pre-weaning period. Thirty (3-d old) newborn calves (40.2 ± 1.28 ...
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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) with corn silage (CS) in the finely ground starter diet on health status and blood biochemical parameters of male Holstein calves during pre-weaning period. Thirty (3-d old) newborn calves (40.2 ± 1.28 kg body weight) were assigned randomly to three experimental groups receiving starter diets containing 10% (on dry matter basis) AH (Control), 5% AH and 5% CS, and 10% CS. The starter diets had the same nutrient composition but dry matter content was highest and lowest in Control and 10% CS groups, respectively. Blood concentration of albumin was higher in calves fed 5% CS diet compared with calves fed Control or 10% CS diets (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with calves on other treatments, calves on Control group were more susceptible to develop diarrhea or pneumonia (P ≤ 0.05) and thereby had lower chance to be treated. No difference was observed among treatment groups for frequency and medication days of diarrhea or pneumonia, but duration of diarrhea was higher in calves on Control group compared with other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Based on obtained results, feeding CS containing diets (5 or 10%) to male Holstein calves during the preweaning period may have a potential to improve calf health and to decrease costs related to drugs and medication
Rohollah Ebrahimi; Tahereh Mohammadabadi; Mohsen Sari; Somayeh Sallari; Mohammadjavad Zamiri; Mohammadtaghi Beigi Nassiri
Volume 15, Issue 2 , October 2013, , Pages 127-138
Abstract
In order to investigate the effect of different levels of silymarin (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg diet) onperformance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters and antioxidant status, 120 day-old chicks wereassigned to 3 treatments with four replicates and 10 birds in each in a completely randomized design.Results ...
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In order to investigate the effect of different levels of silymarin (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg diet) onperformance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters and antioxidant status, 120 day-old chicks wereassigned to 3 treatments with four replicates and 10 birds in each in a completely randomized design.Results showed supplementation of 200 mg silymarin significantly decreased the body weight gain(BWG) in starter (P<0.05) and whole period of experiment (P<0.01) and significantly increased feedconversion ratio at starter (P<0.05), grower (P<0.05) and total rearing periods (P<0.01). Also, addition of100 mg silymarin significantly increased the carcass relative weight (P<0.01) and supplementation of 200mg silymarin significantly increased the breast relative weight (P<0.05). Furthermore, 200 mg silymarinsignificantly increased the malondialdehyde and heterophil/ lymphocyte ratio and significantly decreasedsuperoxide dismutase (P<0.05). These results showed that supplementation of silymarin in diet undernormal condition, improved the carcass and breast relative weight, but no had effect on bird’s oxidativestatus.