Effects of Different Quality Roughage Supply onPerformance of Holstein Calves during Preweaning Period

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of two different quality roughage (wheat straw and alfalfa hay) supplies on live weight gain, growth, feed intake and feed efficiency of Holstein calves during the preweaning period. With this purpose, 30 male and female Holstein calves were divided into two treatment groups (15 calves in each group) based on gender and birth weights. The first group was fed with a total mixed diet containing 80% calf starter and 20% alfalfa hay (chopped in 1-2 cm pieces) as a high quality roughage source and the second group was fed with a total mixed diet containing 80% calf starter and 20% wheat straw (chopped in 1-2 cm pieces) as a low quality roughage source during the preweaning period. The results revealed that feeding with high quality roughage (alfalfa hay)
decreased feed intake (P<0.05) but didn’t affect live weight and growth parameters (P>0.05) at the moment of weaning after 8 week preweaning period. Because of lower feed consumption without impairing calf performance and improved feed conversation efficiency, it can be suggested that high quality roughage could be supplied to calves in addition to calf starter feed during the preweaning period but meanwhile economic parameters like feed costs must be taken into account.

Full text

Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi
Tar. Bil. Der.
Dergi web sayfası:
www.agri.ankara.edu.tr/dergi
Journal of Agricultural Sciences
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www.agri.ankara.edu.tr/journal
TARIM BİLİMLERİ DERGİSİ — JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES 23 (2017) 386-394
Effects of Different Quality Roughage Supply on Performance of
Holstein Calves during Preweaning Period
İsmail ÜLGERa, Mahmut KALİBERa, Selma BÜYÜKKILIÇ BEYZİa, Yusuf KONCAa
aErciyes University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Kayseri, TURKEY
ARTICLE INFO
Research Article
Corresponding Author: Mahmut KALİBER, E-mail: mkaliber@gmail.com, Tel: +90 (507) 540 11 45
Received: 18 January 2016, Received in Revised Form: 29 February 2016, Accepted: 08 March 2016
ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of two different quality roughage (wheat straw and alfalfa
hay) supplies on live weight gain, growth, feed intake and feed efciency of Holstein calves during the preweaning
period. With this purpose, 30 male and female Holstein calves were divided into two treatment groups (15 calves in
each group) based on gender and birth weights. The rst group was fed with a total mixed diet containing 80% calf
starter and 20% alfalfa hay (chopped in 1-2 cm pieces) as a high quality roughage source and the second group was fed
with a total mixed diet containing 80% calf starter and 20% wheat straw (chopped in 1-2 cm pieces) as a low quality
roughage source during the preweaning period. The results revealed that feeding with high quality roughage (alfalfa hay)
decreased feed intake (P<0.05) but didn’t affect live weight and growth parameters (P>0.05) at the moment of weaning
after 8 week preweaning period. Because of lower feed consumption without impairing calf performance and improved
feed conversation efciency, it can be suggested that high quality roughage could be supplied to calves in addition to
calf starter feed during the preweaning period but meanwhile economic parameters like feed costs must be taken into
account.
Keywords: Holstein; Calf; Weaning; Alfalfa; Wheat straw; Growth performance
Sütten Kesim Öncesi Dönemde Farklı Kalitedeki Kaba Yemlerle
Beslemenin Holstein Buzağıların Performansı Üzerine Etkileri
ESER BİLGİSİ
Araştırma Makalesi
Sorumlu Yazar: Mahmut KALİBER, E-posta: mkaliber@gmail.com, Tel: +90 (507) 540 11 45
Geliş Tarihi: 18 Ocak 2016, Düzeltmelerin Gelişi: 29 Şubat 2016, Kabul: 08 Mart 2016
ÖZET
Bu çalışmada, Holstein buzağılarda sütten kesim öncesi dönemde iki farklı kalitedeki kaba yem kullanımının (kıyılmış
halde kuru yonca otu ve buğday sapı) büyüme, gelişme, yem tüketimi ve yemden yararlanma özellikleri üzerindeki
etkileri araştırılmıştır. Bu amaçla toplam 30 baş erkek ve dişi Holstein buzağı cinsiyet ve doğum ağırlıkları göz önünde
bulundurularak her birinde 15 baş olmak üzere 2 deneme grubuna dağıtılmıştır. Birinci muamele grubunun % 80

Eects of Dierent Quality Roughage Supply on Performance of Holstein Calves during Preweaning Period, Ülger et al
387Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
1. Introduction
In dairy operations, proper growth and feeding of
newborn calves are signicant issues for replacing
the dairy cows with the young ones. While milk
constitutes about 60% of total facility income,
calf and stock capital gain constitute 40% of total
income. In other words, number of calves raised in
the facility has a great impact on protability of the
operation (Erez 2011).
Including calves, proventriculus (rumen, reticulum
and omasum) of young ruminants is not developed
sufciently during the initial periods of their lives.
Early weaning without much inuencing the
calf performance may increase marketable milk
production of the operation and protein supplements
to the feeds cost less than the protein supplied with
the milk (Turgut et al 1998). Thus, roughage and
concentrate feeds should be used efciently and
proventriculus of calves should be developed as
fast as possible to stimulate rumen development.
Proventriculus development will be possible with
the use of solid feeds (Göncü et al 2010). Several
researchers indicated that roughages could be used
for normal development of rumen throughout the
preweaning period (Beharka et al 1998; Coverdale
et al 2004; Waterman 2005; Van Ackeren et al
2009). Usage of roughages during the preweaning
period may have stimulating impact on rumination
(Lyford & Huber 1988), improve rumen action,
volume and muscularity (Tamate et al 1962)
and support epithelium and papilla development
(Wardrop 1961). Parallel to this, some researchers
have recommended the addition of roughage to the
starter for optimum rumen development (Anderson
et al 1987; Greenwood et al 1997), but some
other researchers (Heinrichs & Lesmeister 2000;
Lizieire et al 2002; Harris & Shearer 2003; Jones
& Heinrichs 2007) did not recommend roughage
during preweaning period. However, calf rearing
without roughage was seen possible only for short-
term weaning programs (<30 days) (Hibbs et al
1956; Leibholz 1975; Porter et al 2007).
It was indicated in studies investigating
the effects of roughage forms of the ration that
roughage forms did not have any signicant impacts
on growth performance of the calves (Leaver 1973;
Kang & Leibholz 1973). It was also indicated
in a previous study that wheat straw chopped at
different lengths (1.5, 4.8 and 7.9 mm) did not yield
signicant differences in growth performance of
calves (Pickard et al 1969).
Grass and legume hay and straw are common
sources of ber in the diet of the young calf. The
quality of these forage sources greatly affects the
palatability and the digestibility of the diet (Booth
2003). Differences in feed quality attributes were
numerically assessed thorough relative feed value.
Previous researchers investigated relative feed
values of dry alfalfa hay and wheat straw (Yavuz
2005) and assessed digestibility and energy levels of
different roughages (Denek & Deniz 2004). Güngör
et al (2008) reported higher crude nutrient contents
oranında buzağı başlangıç yemi ve kaliteli kaba yem kaynağı olarak % 20 oranında 1-2 cm uzunluğundaki kıyılmış
yonca kuru otu, ikinci muamele grubunun ise % 80 oranında buzağı başlangıç yemi ve düşük kaliteli kaba yem kaynağı
olarak % 20 oranında 1-2 cm uzunluğundaki kuru buğday sapı kullanılarak hazırlanan toplam yem karışımını (TMR) 8
haftalık sütle besleme periyodu boyunca tüketmeleri sağlanmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda, buzağıların sütten kesim öncesi
dönemde buzağı başlangıç yeminin yanında kaliteli kaba yemler ile beslenmesinin yem tüketimini azalttığı (P<0.05)
ancak buna rağmen 8 haftalık süt ile besleme programı sonunda sütten kesim ağırlıklarını ve iskelet gelişimlerini
etkilemediği (P>0.05) tespit edilmiştir. Bu noktadan hareketle, buzağıların performanslarının etkilenmeden daha az yem
ile sütten kesilmelerine olanak sağlaması ayrıca yem çevirim kabiliyetlerini artırması (P<0.05) gibi faydaları göz önünde
bulundurularak sütten kesim öncesi dönemde buzağıların kesif yeme ek olarak kaliteli kaba yemler ile beslenmesinin
ekonomik faktörlerin de göz önünde bulundurulması koşuluyla uygun olacağı sonucuna varılmıştır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Siyah Alaca; Buzağı; Sütten kesme; Yonca; Saman; Performans
© Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi

Sütten Kesim Öncesi Dönemde Farklı Kalitedeki Kaba Yemlerle Beslemenin Holstein Buzağıların Performansı..., Ülger et al
388 Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
for alfalfa than for wheat straw and indicated alfalfa
as a quality roughage source.
There are several studies carried out about the
effects of different preweaning milk feeding periods
(Ozkaya & Toker 2012; Kocyigit et al 2015; Ayaşan
et al 2015), feeding with roughage and without
roughage (Göncü et al 2010; Daneshvar et al 2015)
and different feed forms (Montoro et al 2013;
Jahani-Moghadam et al 2015) and the studies about
the effects of different roughage sources on calf
performance have come into prominence (Zanton
& Heinrichs 2009; Castells et al 2012; Terré et al
2013). However, despite all these studies, effects of
roughage quality on calf performance are not clear,
yet. Therefore, the present study was conducted
to investigate the effects of roughage quality in 8
weeks preweaning period on calf performance.
2. Material and Methods
The present study was conducted with 30 Holstein
calves in a livestock facility located in Kayseri
province of Turkey (latitude: 38.73695, longitude:
35.49683). Two treatment groups were formed
with 15 calves consuming poor and high quality
roughage. Calves were tried to be placed in treatment
groups as much equally as possible based on gender
(8 males and 7 females in each treatment group),
age (all of the calves were born from the mothers at
the same age within 24 hours), amount of colostrum
intake and live weight (Table 1). Experiments were
implemented throughout 8 weeks of preweaning
period. The rst treatment group (dry alfalfa hay-
DAH) was supplied with 80% calf starter feed
obtained from a commercial feed factory in Kayseri
and 20% dry alfalfa hay chopped at 1-2 cm pieces
as a quality roughage source in addition to milk
from the 14th day of birth. The second group (wheat
straw-WS) was supplied with total mixed ration
(TMR) composed of 80% calf starter feed and 20%
dry wheat straw chopped at 1-2 cm pieces as a poor
quality roughage source. All calves were fed ad
libitum.
Calves were housed in individual pens
throughout the experiments and straw bedding was
used over pen oors. The calves stayed with their
mothers in the rst day. They took colostrum within
maximum 2 hours from the birth and colostrum
was supplied to calves for 3 days with a feeding
bottle. From the 3rd day till weaning, the calves
consumed a total of 4 liters whole milk (the average
values obtained from the analyses performed on
morning milk samples taken in every two weeks
by using FOSS FT120 milk analysis device: fat
3.81%, protein 3.09%, lactose 4.49% and fat-free
dry matter 8.19%) daily in two diets with a nipple
bucket. All calves consumed a total of 212 liters
milk throughout 8 weeks of milk-feeding period.
Clean drinking water was supplied ad libitum.
Calves were weighed in every two weeks
starting from the birth with an electronic scale
(100 kg ± 0.001 kg) to calculate live weight gains.
Feeds (hay and concentrated feed) were weighed
every day to determine daily feed consumption of
the calves. Skeletal growth was determined through
measuring the chest girths, withers heights and hip
widths in accordance with the methods specied
in literature (Heinrichs & Lammers 1998). Feed
conversion rates were calculated by dividing daily
dry matter intake (g) with daily live weight gain (g).
The changes in live weights were determined by
subtracting birth weights from the live weights at
the end of experiments (56th day).
Analyses of dry matter (DM), crude ash (CA),
crude protein (CP) and crude fat (CF) contents of
Table 1- Birth weights and colostrum intake of calves
Groups
Parameters WS DAH SE Signicance
Birth weight, kg 39.50 39.60 0.91 ns
Total Colostrum intake, L 16.30 16.80 0.95 ns
DAH, dry alfalfa hay; WS, wheat straw; SE, standard error; ns, not signicant

Eects of Dierent Quality Roughage Supply on Performance of Holstein Calves during Preweaning Period, Ülger et al
389Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
roughage sources (wheat straw and alfalfa hay)
were carried out in accordance with AOAC (1998);
acid detergent ber (ADF) and neutral detergent
ber (NDF) analyses were carried out in accordance
with Van Soest et al (1991); metabolic energy (ME)
and organic matter digestibility (OMD) values were
calculated with the equation developed by Menke
et al (1979) by using the amount of gases released
after 24 hours fermentation through in vitro gas
production technique. Rumen uid was obtained
from two stulated sheep fed twice daily with a diet
containing alfalfa hay (60%) and concentrate feed
(40%). About 0.200 g dry samples were weighed in
triplicate into the calibrated 100 mL glass syringes.
The syringes were pre-warmed to 39 °C before the
injection of 30 mL rumen uid-buffer mixture into
each syringe followed by incubation in a water bath
at 39 °C. Readings of gas production were recorded
before incubation (0) and 24 h after incubation.
The metabolic energy (ME) (Mcal kg-1 DM) of
feedstuffs was calculated according to Menke et al
(1979) (Equation 1).
ME= (2.20+0.1136×GP+0.0057×CP+0.00029×CF2)/4.184 (1)
Where; GP, 24 h net gas production (mL 200 mg-1);
CP, crude protein (%) and CF, crude fat (%).
The organic matter digestibility (OMD) of
feedstuffs was calculated according to Menke et al
(1979) (Equation 2).
OMD (%)= 14.88+0.889×GP+0.45×CP+0.0651×CA (2)
Where; GP, 24 h net gas production (mL 200 mg-1);
CP, crude protein (%); CA, crude ash (%).
The equations specied by Van Dyke &
Anderson (2000) were used determine relative feed
value (RFV) (Table 2) of roughage sources used in
experiments. Relative feed values were calculated
by using digestible dry matter (DDM) and dry
matter intake (DMI) values. Digestible dry matter
was calculated by using ADF and dry matter intake
was calculated by using NDF values. Results are
provided in Table 2.
Table 2- Nutritive values and quality attributes of
calf starter feed, alfalfa hay and wheat straw
Feed materials
Nutrients Calf starter
feed* Alfalfa Wheat
straw
Crude protein, % 18 18.06 3.74
Dry matter, % 88 91.72 90.14
Crude ash, % 8.00 9.78 8.02
Crude fat, % 3.60 2.52 1.49
ADF, % 18 36.09 52.37
NDF, % 30 44.41 80.14
ME, kcal kg-1 2800 1810 1140
OMD, % - 58.81 32.87
DDM, % - 60.79 48.10
DMI, % - 2.70 1.50
RFV - 127.20 55.92
*, values were received from the producer; ADF, acid detergent
ber; NDF, neutral detergent ber; ME, metabolic energy; OMD,
organic matter digestibility; DDM, digestible dry matter= 88.9-
(0.779xADF); DMI, dry matter intake= 120/NDF; RFV, relative
feed value= DDMxDMIx0.775
Descriptive statistics for studied variables were
presented as mean and standard errors. Experimental
results were subjected to the independent samples t-test
to determine whether or not the differences between
the groups were signicant. Signicance level was
considered as 5% and SPSS statistical software was
used in all statistical analyses (SPSS 2002).
3. Results and Discussion
Daily feed consumption (DFC), initial live weights
(ILW), mid-experiment (4th week) live weights
(MLW), nal live weights (FLW), daily live weight
gains (LWG), feed conversion ratios (FCR), initial
chest girths (ICG), mid-experiment (4th week) chest
girths (MCG), nal chest girths (FCG), initial hip
widths (IHW), mid-experiment (4th week) hip
widths (MHW), nal hip widths (FHW), initial
withers heights (IWH), mid-experiment (4th week)
withers heights (MWH), nal withers heights
(FWH), changes in live weights (CLW), changes in
chest girths (CCG), changes in hip widths (CHW)
and changes in withers heights (CWH) of the calves
fed with different quality roughages throughout 8
week preweaning period are provided in Table 3.

Sütten Kesim Öncesi Dönemde Farklı Kalitedeki Kaba Yemlerle Beslemenin Holstein Buzağıların Performansı..., Ülger et al
390 Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
The differences in initial, mid-experiment
and nal live weights, daily live weight gains,
changes in live weights, initial, mid-experiment
and nal chest girths, changes in chest girths,
initial, mid-experiment and nal hip widths,
changes in hip widths, initial, mid-experiment
and nal withers heights and changes in withers
heights of experimental groups were not found to
be signicant (P>0.05). It was reported in previous
studies (Greenwood et al 1997; Beharka et al 1998;
Coverdale et al 2004; Suarez et al 2007; Castells
et al 2012) that calf performance and live weights
varied based on weaning age, type of roughage
supply (ad libitum or TMR), form of roughage
supply (hay or smaller pieces) and roughage (e.g.,
alfalfa hay, straw, grass hay, fresh grass, corn
silage). In this study, similar growth performance
and weaning weights of the calves fed with high
Table 3- Performance and growth parameters of calves
Groups
WS DAH SE Signicance
Live weight
ILW, kg
MLW, kg
FLW, kg
LWG, g day-1
CLW, kg
39.50
57.50
70.20
548.21
30.70
39.60
58.00
70.80
557.14
31.20
0.91
1.38
0.93
1.08
0.33
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
Feed consumption
DFC, g day-1 883.26 859.65 7.39 **
FCR, DFC LWG-1 1.61 1.54 0.03 *
Chest girth
ICG, cm 78.60 79.80 1.53 ns
MCG, cm 89.50 91.85 1.36 ns
FCG, cm 98.00 100.80 1.97 ns
CCG, cm 19.40 21.00 1.08 ns
Hip width
IHW, cm 19.15 19.50 0.73 ns
MHW, cm 21.85 22.40 0.93 ns
FHW, cm 26.50 27.40 0.94 ns
CHW, cm 7.35 7.90 0.67 ns
Withers height
IWH, cm 75.50 76.00 1.23 ns
MWH, cm 78.70 80.00 1.24 ns
FWH, cm 84.20 86.45 1.87 ns
CWH, cm 8.70 10.45 1.25 ns
DAH, dry alfalfa hay; WS, wheat straw; SE, standard error; *, < 0.05; **, < 0.01; ns, not signicant; ILW, initial live weight; MLW,
mid-experiment (4th week) live weight; FLW, nal live weight; LWG, live weight gain; CLW, changes in live weight; DFC, daily feed
consumption; FCR, feed conversion ratio (contains only dry feed); ICG, initial chest girth; MCG, mid-experiment (4th week) chest
girth; FCG, nal chest girth; CCG, changes in chest girth; IHW, initial hip width; MHW, mid-experiment (4th week) hip width; FHW,
nal hip width; CHW, changes in hip width; IWH, initial withers height; MWH, mid-experiment (4th week) withers height; FWH, nal
withers height; CWH, changes in withers height

Eects of Dierent Quality Roughage Supply on Performance of Holstein Calves during Preweaning Period, Ülger et al
391Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
and low quality roughage were probably resulted
from equal milk feeding (4 L day-1) of treatment
groups, relatively low ratios (20%) of roughage
in TMR and relatively shorter treatment durations
(14-56th days).
On the other hand, roughage quality had
signicant impacts on daily feed consumptions
and feed conversion ratios (P<0.05). While the
daily average feed consumption of the calves fed
with alfalfa hay as a roughage was 859.65 g, the
value was observed to be 883.26 g in treatment
group fed with wheat straw (P<0.05). The calves
fed with wheat straw throughout the preweaning
period had higher feed consumptions than the
calves fed with alfalfa hay. Complying with the
ndings of earlier studies (Beharka et al 1998;
Booth 2003; Coverdale et al 2004; Suarez et al
2007), use of low quality roughage instead of
high quality roughage in rations increased daily
feed consumptions throughout the preweaning
period. However, current ndings conict with
those observed by Castells et al (2012) who
observed greater DFC in calves fed with WS than
DAH. However in that study, roughage was not
supplied in TMR, they were supplied freely, thus
the animals fed with WS consumed 5% roughage
and the ones fed with DAH consumed 15%
roughage. Therefore, the DGC values were higher
than the present values. Since the wheat straw
used in present study had 1.58% less dry matter
content than alfalfa hay (Table 2), the difference
in dry matter contents might have an increasing
effect on feed consumption. Such a difference in
feed consumptions might have also resulted from
higher digestible nutrient content of alfalfa hay
than wheat straw and consequently the calves fed
with alfalfa hay was able to meet their nutritional
needs with less feed consumption. Furthermore,
increasing feed intakes with low quality roughage
might be due to a bulky effect, which helps to
stimulate rumination and improve rumen pH of
young calves, instead of an increase of the NDF
content of the diet (Booth 2003).
Feed conversion ratio of the treatment group
fed with wheat straw (1.61) was higher than the
ratio in alfalfa consuming group (1.54) (P<0.05).
Lower feed conversion ratios indicate better
conversions, in other words less feed consumptions
for unit live weight gain. Accordingly, while the
daily feed consumption of the treatment group
fed with alfalfa hay (DAH) was 859.65 g and the
daily live weight gain of the group was 557.14 g,
the values were respectively observed as 883.26
g (DFC) and 548.21 g (LWG) in treatment group
fed with wheat straw (WS). Complying with the
earlier ndings (Leaver 1973; Greenwood et al
1997; Booth 2003; Coverdale et al 2004), feed
conversion ability of the calves fed with high
quality roughage throughout the preweaning
period was better than the calves fed with low
quality roughage. Again higher digestible nutrient
and lower NDF content of alfalfa hay than wheat
straw (Table 2) resulted in higher nutrient intake
in alfalfa consumed calves than in wheat straw
consumed calves, thus better feed conversions in
alfalfa group.
4. Conclusions
Current ndings revealed that calf feeding with
quality roughage throughout the preweaning period
in addition to concentrate feed decreased the feed
consumption of the calves (P<0.05). However such
a feeding program throughout the 8 weeks of milk-
fed period did not signicantly inuence weaning
weights and skeletal development of the calves
(P>0.05). It was concluded that quality roughage
supply in addition to concentrate feed was found
to be a convenient approach to allow weaning
of calves with less feed consumption without
impairing their performances and to improve feed
conversion abilities of the calves in an economical
fashion (P<0.05). The present study can be
considered as an initial step for further studies and
as an indicator for producer-level practices. There
is a need for further studies to investigate the
rumen development of calves reared with different
quality roughages, to assess further performance of
calves and to evaluate the effects on dairy and beef
cattle separately.

Sütten Kesim Öncesi Dönemde Farklı Kalitedeki Kaba Yemlerle Beslemenin Holstein Buzağıların Performansı..., Ülger et al
392 Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi – Journal of Agricultural Sciences 23 (2017) 386-394
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Abbreviations and Symbols
kg kilogram FLW Final live weight
ggram FCG Final chest girth
Lliter FHW Final hip width
mL milliliter FWH Final withers height
mmeter CLW Changes in live weight
cm centimeter CCG Changes in chest girth
mm millimeter CHW Changes in hip width
DAH Dry alfalfa hay CWH Changes in withers height
WS Wheat straw ADF Acid detergent ber
TMR Total mixed ration NDF Neutral detergent ber
ILW Initial live weight OMD Organic matter digestibility
ICG Initial chest girth ME Metabolic energy
IHW Initial hip width DDM Digestible dry matter
IWH Initial withers height DMI Dry matter intake
MLW Mid-experiment live weight RFV Relative feed value
MCG Mid-experiment chest girth FCR Feed conversion ratio
MHW Mid-experiment hip width DFC Daily feed consumption
MWH Mid-experiment withers height

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