At the end of 2021, a research project was completed in which the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein (Institute for Livestock Research) and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Institute for Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds) investigated various feeding concepts for calves. The project aimed to determine how different hay qualities (sugar hay vs. medium-quality hay) and concentrate feed usage (no concentrate vs. 70% concentrate in the solid feed) affect feed intake, daily weight gain, and metabolism in calves. Initial results of this research project have now been published in the American Journal of Dairy Science, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of animal nutrition.
Links to the Journal of Dairy Science:
The results of this research project will also be presented at the 49th Livestock Farming Conference of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein on April 6th and 7th, 2022. Further information and the conference program can be found here. (Link to conference program)
Below is a brief summary of this research project:
Calf feed often uses starter feeds rich in concentrates. However, the low fiber content of such starter feeds can lead to metabolic problems in calves and impair the development of their digestive tract. High-quality hay could be an alternative, offering both high protein and energy content as well as a sufficiently high fiber content. A research project therefore investigated how hay quality (medium-quality hay – "MQH", high-quality hay – "HQH") and concentrate feed usage (no concentrate, 70% concentrate – "+CFF") affect feed and nutrient intake, daily weight gain, ration digestibility, and metabolic parameters in the blood. Forty Holstein Friesian calves were assigned to one of four experimental groups (MQH, HQH, MQH+CFF, HQH+CFF) immediately after birth. From the first to the 14th week of life, the intake of acidified milk replacer, solid feed, and water was recorded daily, and live weight was measured weekly. Blood samples were taken during the first week of life and at the end of weeks 3, 7, 11, and 13. Fecal samples were also collected in week 14 to assess the digestibility of the ration. During the first 8 weeks of life, feed intake and daily weight gain did not differ between the experimental groups. From week 10 onward, however, the dry matter, protein, and energy intake of the calves fed MQH were significantly lower than in the other groups, which did not differ from each other. One reason for the high feed intake of the HQH calves was the high digestibility of the hay. After weaning at the end of week 12, the MQH and MQH+KF groups showed lower daily weight gains than the HQH and HQH+KF groups. The levels of β-hydroxybutyric acid and cholesterol in the blood were significantly higher after weaning in calves fed exclusively on hay than in those fed a combination of hay and concentrate, indicating better development of the rumen mucosa. The results of this project demonstrate that high-concentrate calf starters can be replaced with high-quality hay without any reduction in feed intake or daily weight gain. Furthermore, this feeding strategy is likely to have a positive impact on the development of the digestive tract.
