Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: ghasem.khadem_s00@gau.ac.ir
2 Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: ghoorchi.profcms@gau.ac.ir
3 Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: toghdory.profcms@gau.ac.ir
4 Corresponding Author, Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: katayoun.mehrani_s99@gau.ac.ir
5 Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: kamel.amozadeh_s00@gau.ac.ir
Abstract
Objective: Proper raising of suckling calves is important in creating a profitable productive herd. In this regard, the three important principles of nutrition, preservation of the environment and disease control will be effective in reducing losses caused by losses from birth to weaning. In recent years, efforts have been made in calf nutrition to find the best combination of starter diets to justify the best growth and health. Grain processing makes starch available to microbes and increases the rate and extent of starch degradation in the rumen. Considering that there is little information about the effect of barley processing on feed intake and performance behavior in dairy calves, therefore, this study aims to compare non-steamed flaked barley with milled barley on performance, fecal score, chewing behavior and blood parameters of Holstein suckling calves.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 12 Holstein female calves aged 20 to 25 days and an initial body weight of 44±2.7 kg were used in two treatments and six replications. The treatments included: 1- starter diet containing milled barley, and 2- starter diet containing non-steamed flaked barley. The duration of the trial period was 35 days. The experimental diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. On the 58th and 59th days of the experiment, feed intake behavior was calculated by recording activity for 24 hours. During the research period, the calf fecal score was also checked. To measure blood parameters on the 35th day of the experiment, blood was taken four hours after morning feeding using heparinized venoject tubes from the jugular vein of the calves.
Results and Discussion: The results comparing the effect of milled and non-steamed flaked barley on the performance of Holstein calves showed that there is a significant difference between the calves fed non-steamed flaked barley in terms of final weight, weight changes, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) than calves fed milled barley (P<0.05). The calves fed non-steamed flaked barley had more weight changes (11.66) during the experimental period. There was a significant difference in eating behavior, rumination, chewing and rest of calves between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The fecal consistency score, the number of calves with diarrhea and the average days with diarrhea were not affected by the treatments Blood glucose concentration of calves fed non-steamed flaked barley was higher than that of calves consumed milled barley (P<0.05). However, blood concentrations of triglyceride, cholesterol, urea, total protein, albumin, globulin and their ratio were not affected.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the use of non-steamed flaked barley compared to milled barley increased DMI and ADG, and improved FCR and eating behavior of dairy calves.
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