Abstract #T129
Section: Growth and Development (posters)
Session: Growth and Development I
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
Session: Growth and Development I
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
# T129
Effect of type of gradual weaning program on intakes and growth of dairy calves fed a high level of milk.
Sarah D. Parsons*1, Ken E. Leslie2, Michael A. Steele3, Trevor J. DeVries1, 1Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, 2Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, 3Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Key Words: dairy calf, weaning, growth
Effect of type of gradual weaning program on intakes and growth of dairy calves fed a high level of milk.
Sarah D. Parsons*1, Ken E. Leslie2, Michael A. Steele3, Trevor J. DeVries1, 1Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, 2Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, 3Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
The objective of this study was to investigate how 2 gradual weaning programs affect intake and growth of dairy calves during the milk-feeding (d 1–42), weaning (d 43–56), and post-weaning (d 57–70) periods. Sixty Holstein heifer calves were housed in individual pens (152 × 167 cm) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: continuous gradual weaning program (CG) or multi-step gradual weaning program (MSG). Calves were offered 12.5L/d of milk replacer (in 2.5-L meals, 5×/d) by an automated rail milk feeder (AMF) until d 43, when weaning commenced according to their assigned treatment. Calves had access to ad libitum water from birth and starter ration of mixed concentrate (95%) and chopped (2.54 cm) wheat straw (5%) from d 5. Calves on CG program are weaned from 12.5L/d to 2.0L/d in small, equal increments until d 57. Calves on MSG program were offered 10L/d for 3 d, 8L/d for 4 d, 6L/d for 3 d, and 3L/d for 4 d until d 57. At d 57, all calves did not receive milk and were monitored until d 70. Feed and water intakes were measured daily and milk intakes were recorded automatically by the AMF. Calf BW was measured 2 × /wk. Data were summarized by period and analyzed using repeated measures general linear mixed models. Milk intake was similar during the milk-feeding period (CG = 9.1L/d, MSG = 8.9L/d; SE = 0.21; P = 0.63). During weaning, milk intake varied by day depending on treatment (treatment × day = P < 0.01), but on average CG calves consumed more milk than MSG (6.7 vs 6.1 L/d; SE = 0.12; P < 0.01). Feed intake did not differ between treatments in the milk-feeding (CG = 0.063 kg/d, MSG = 0.060 kg/d; SE = 0.0047; P = 0.66), weaning (CG = 0.75 kg/d, MSG = 0.80 kg/d; SE = 0.056; P = 0.54), or post-weaning periods (CG = 2.97 kg/d, MSG = 2.91 kg/d; SE = 0.093; P = 0.68). Growth rates did not vary by treatment (P = 0.8) during the milk-feeding (1.08 ± 0.03 kg/d) and post-weaning (1.18 ± 0.06 kg/d) periods. Growth was subject to a treatment × wk interaction (SE = 0.051, P = 0.006) during weaning, resulting in CG calves growing at 1.08 kg/d during wk 7 and 0.59 kg/d in wk 8, versus MSG calves growing at 0.94 kg/d in wk 7 and 0.70 kg/d in wk 8. The results indicate that type of gradual weaning program may affect nutrient consumption and growth during the weaning period.
Key Words: dairy calf, weaning, growth
