Effect of preweaning diet on performance, blood metabolites and rumen fermentation around weaning in calves of two beef breeds
S. Yuste A , Z. Amanzougarene A , A. de Vega A C , M. Fondevila A , M. Blanco B and I. Casasús BA Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
B Unidad de Tecnología en Producción Animal. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Alimentaria, Gobierno de Aragón, PB 727, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain.
C Corresponding author. Email: avega@unizar.es
Animal Production Science 60(8) 1018-1027 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19152
Submitted: 14 March 2019 Accepted: 17 October 2019 Published: 12 March 2020
Abstract
Context: Good transition from suckling to high-concentrate diets is essential to avoid nutritional disorders during the fattening period of beef calves.
Aims: Assessing the optimal feeding strategies during the preweaning period of beef calves for an adequate adaptation to high-concentrate diets.
Methods: A total of 30 female beef calves (15 Parda de Montaña and 15 Pirenaica), managed under restricted suckling, were assigned to three preweaning diets (milk only [MO], milk plus hay [MH], milk plus concentrate [MC]), fed from the third month until weaning at 5 months. During the subsequent transition period (1 month), all animals received a fattening concentrate plus wheat straw ad libitum.
Key results: Milk intake did not differ among diets; solids intake was similar for MH and MC calves. Preweaning supplementation improved performance at the end of the suckling period (MC > MH > MO). During transition, concentrate intake was lower for MO calves; MH calves showed the lowest feed efficiency. At the end of transition, MC calves showed the highest liveweight and average daily gain (MC > MH = MO). Rumen pH at weaning did not differ from that at the end of transition in MC calves, whereas MH and MO animals showed lower values at the latter. Supplemented calves showed higher volatile fatty acids concentration than MO calves at weaning; MC calves showed the lowest values at the end of the transition period. Ammonia and lactic acid concentration at weaning was the highest for MO and MC calves respectively, with no differences between diets at the end of transition. Glucose and non-esterified fatty acids concentrations were only affected by age; urea and β-hydroxybutyrate were affected by the interaction between diet and age. Economic profitability at weaning was higher for supplemented calves (MH = MC > MO), and ranked MC > MO > MH at the end of the transition. Gains during the suckling period, and hence the economic margin, were higher for Parda de Montaña than for Pirenaica calves; during transition the economic margin was similar.
Conclusions: Preweaning supplementation with concentrates is the most interesting option in terms of performance and profitability.
Implications: Preweaning solid supplementation increases calf performance and provides better rumen development, essential for a smooth transition to fattening diets.
Additional keywords: beef calves, preweaning solid supplementation, rumen fermentation, suckling, transition.
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