title: Effects of the step-up/step-down and step-down milk feeding procedures on the performance, structural growth, and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy calves.
abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the step-up/step-down (SUSD) and step-down (STP) methods of milk feeding on the performance, growth parameters, blood metabolites, and health of dairy calves. For this purpose, 45 Holstein male calves (3d of age and 41 ± 3 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned to one of the following milk feeding groups: (1) conventional (CONV; 4 L/d milk from d 1 to 52, and 2 L/d milk from d 53 to 56 of the study), (2) STP (6 L/d milk from d 1 to 29, and 4 L/d milk from d 30 to 45 of the study followed by feeding 2L/d milk from d 46 to 56 of the study), and (3) SUSD (6 L/d milk from d 1 to 5, 8 L/d milk from d 6 to 15, 10 L/d milk from d 16 to 35, 8L/d milk from d 36 to 42, 6 L/d milk from d 43 to 47, 4 L/d milk from d 48 to 52 of the study followed by feeding 2 L/d milk from d 53 to 56 of the study). Calves were weaned on d 56 and followed until d 70 of the study period. Animals had ad libitum access to the same starter ration during the entire study period (d 3 to 70). Starter intake, total dry matter intake, and average daily gain were greater in the SUSD calves than those in the CONV and STP treatments during the preweaning period. The SUSD procedure was found to increase body weight during the entire study and improved body length, wither height, heart girth, hip height, and hip width on d 56 and 70 of the study compared with the STP and CONV calves. The SUSD treatment increased blood glucose concentration on d 35 compared with CONV and STP procedures. The STP group had a higher starter intake than the CONV and SUSD animals. The STP animals exhibited a higher plasma concentration of total protein and BHBA than did the SUSD animals during the preweaning period. Neither the SUSD nor the STP procedure negatively affected the fecal score. In conclusion, the SUSD milk feeding procedure was found to improve the performance of dairy calves compared with the STP and CONV procedures. However, it appears that the STP procedure induces earlier reticulo-rumen developement in dairy calves than does the SUSD procedure.
authors: Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Omidi-Mirzaei
authors: Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran. Electronic address: khorvash@cc.iut.ac.ir.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Khorvash
authors: Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
authors: G R
authors: GR
authors: Ghorbani
authors: Ghiam Dairy Complex, Isfahan 833111-4761, Iran.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Moshiri
authors: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, 38156-8-8349 Arak, Iran.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mirzaei
authors: Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gastrointestinal Research Group, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Pezeshki
authors: Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Ghaffari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D005248:Feeding Methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014886:Weaning
keywords: dairy calf; performance; step-down; step-up/step-down