The nutritive value, intake, digestibility and nitrogen balance of farm-grown and prepared sunflower-based dairy calf meals.
The dry matter intake (DMI), digestibility and nitrogen balance of three sunflower-based farm-grown calf meals with different roughage sources (maize stover, MSM; groundnut tops, GTM; and veld hay, VHM) and a commercial calf starter meal (control; CSM) were studied for 47 days (26 days pre- and 21 days post-weaning) in calves. The DMI was lower (but p > 0.05) with CSM (0.369 kg/day) than with the farm-grown meals (mean 0.559 kg/day), and the daily weight gain (kg/day) did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between CSM (0.107), GTM (0.053), MSM (0.157) and VHM (0.217). Dry matter, organic matter and protein digestibility were higher (p < 0.07) on the CSM than on the GTM treatment. Nitrogen retention was least (p < 0.05) in calves fed GTM (3.0 g N/day) compared to those fed MSM (10.4), VHM (5.0) or CSM (3.9). These results indicate that farm-grown and prepared sunflower-based meals are suitable for feeding young calves.
Mandibaya
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W
Animal Science Department, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. wmandi@compcentre.uz.ac.zw
Mutisi
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C
Hamudikuwanda
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H
Titterton
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M
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004063:Digestion; D004435:Eating; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006368:Helianthus / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011897:Random Allocation
D009584:Nitrogen