Resumen de Efecto del número de tomas (1 o 2) de leche sobre el consumo de pienso, crecimiento y el comportamiento en terneros mamones frisones de más de 55 kg de peso vivo de entrada
Maria Devant Guille, A. Solé i Benet, Alex Bach Ariza, Marta Terré Trulla
The aim of these studies was to evaluate the effects of milk feeding offers on calves performance and behaviour. In Study 1, 198 Holstein male calves (35 ± 1.6 d age, 60 ± 0.2 kg BW) were allocated in 18 pens, and split in three BW blocks, and in two treatments: half of them were offered milk replacer (MR) twice daily (2T), and the other half once daily (1T). The milk replacer (CP 22%, fat 18.5%) feeding program was as follows: week 1: 270 g/d spray milk replacer; week 2: 360 g/d whey milk replacer; week 3 420 g/d; week 4: 270g/d H20. From 22 to 28 d all calves were offered MR in one feeding, and all animals were weaned at 28 d of study. The following 2 weeks the animals received concentrates plus straw. Concentrate, straw and water were offered ad libitum, and the incidence of veterinary treatments and mortality recorded. Concentrate and straw intake and BW were recorded weekly. Calves behaviour was recorded by scan sampling at 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 d of study after the afternoon MR offer, and lying behavior was monitored by placing a data logger in the right hind leg to record movements at 1-min intervals from 14 to 42 d of study. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance with repeated measures. In Study 2, 198 Holstein male calves (39 ± 0.3 d age, 60 ± 0.1 kg BW) were homogenized by BW. The same treatments and sampling were applied to animals (1 vs 2 MR feeding offers), but the MR feeding program was as follows: week 1: 270 g/d H21, week 2: 300 g/d H20, week 3: 210 g/d H20. In this week both treatments were offered MR in one feeding. Animals were weaned at 21 d of study and the following 2 weeks the animals received concentrates plus straw. The lying behavior was monitored by placing the data logger throughout the study. In both studies, 1T calves had lower (P < 0.05) ADG and concentrate DM intake than 2T calves around weaning. These differences were maintained 2 weeks after weaning in Study 2. More calves in 1T group were standing the first week of study, in contrast to in the week before weaning (when 2T calves MR offer was reduced to one feeding) that standing time was greater (P < 0.05) in 2T compared with 1T calves, suggesting that the lack of one feeding altered the lying behaviour of calves. In both studies, mortality was greater (P < 0.05) in 1T than in 2T calves. Whether one feeding predisposed calves to immunosuppression, and therefore greater mortality, was not evaluated, but it was not a good strategy to stimulate concentrate intake in dairy calves of 55 kg BW at the entrance.
