title: The effects of increasing garlic powder and monensin supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance and blood parameters of growing calves.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing garlic powder and monensin supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance and blood metabolites of growing calves. Forty Holstein calves (BW = 100 ± 11 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (n = 10) in a complete randomized design. Experimental treatments consisted of the following: (i) basal diet (control), (ii) basal diet supplemented with 0.0003% of dietary dry matter (DM) sodium monensin, (iii) low level of garlic powder (Low-GAR; 0.5% of dietary DM) and (iv) high level of garlic powder (High-GAR; 1% of dietary DM). DM intake (DMI) and DM digestibility were (p < 0.05) decreased by High-GAR. However, calves supplemented with Low-GAR had a similar DMI to the control calves and similar DM digestibility to the control and monensin groups. The digestibility of other nutrients were not affected by the treatments. Although supplementing monensin relative to Low-GAR increased the DMI (p < 0.05), average daily gain was similar between Low-GAR and monensin supplemented calves, which were higher than the control and High-GAR groups (p < 0.05). As a result, feed conversion ratio was improved in the Low-GAR group versus other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Administrating garlic powder decreased the blood low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-esterified fatty acids (p < 0.05) without affecting the blood triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein and beta-hydroxybutyric acid concentrations. In conclusion, the calves fed the Low-GAR showed an improved FCR and blood metabolites without changing the DMI and nutrient digestibility. It suggests that garlic powder could be used as an alternative to monensin for growing calves under the current feeding conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gholipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Foroozandeh Shahraki
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tabeidian
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers Club, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nasrollahi
authors.affiliation: Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating; D005737:Garlic; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008985:Monensin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008985:Monensin
keywords: blood parameters; digestibility; garlic powder; performance; sodium monensin