Table 3.
Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and frame measurements of body length (BL), heart girth (HG), wither height (WH), hip height (HH), and hip width (HW) for calves fed milk replacer (MR) containing essential oils (EO)
| Treatments1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | CON | EP | EPC | SEM |
| No. calves | 20 | 16 | 20 | — |
| BW, kg | ||||
| Initial | 35.4 | 38.6 | 37.8 | 1.22 |
| Final | 64.5 | 69.5 | 67.1 | 2.31 |
| Gain | 29.1 | 30.9 | 29.3 | 2.10 |
| ADG, kg | 0.52 | 0.55 | 0.52 | 0.03 |
| BL, cm | ||||
| Initial | 60.3 | 62.1 | 61.1 | 0.98 |
| Final | 73.5 | 75.0 | 74.7 | 1.03 |
| Gain | 13.2 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 1.08 |
| HG, cm | ||||
| Initial | 76.7 | 79.8 | 78.3 | 0.85 |
| Final | 92.3 | 94.8 | 93.2 | 1.00 |
| Gain | 15.6 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 0.79 |
| WH, cm | ||||
| Initial | 73.5 | 76.6 | 75.3 | 0.98 |
| Final | 83.6 | 86.5 | 84.9 | 0.95 |
| Gain | 10.1 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 1.50 |
| HH, cm | ||||
| Initial | 78.4 | 81.6 | 79.9 | 1.03 |
| Final | 87.5 | 89.5 | 89.0 | 0.91 |
| Gain | 9.1 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 0.85 |
| HW, cm | ||||
| Initial | 42.4 | 44.9 | 44.7 | 1.41 |
| Final | 63.1 | 67.3 | 65.5 | 2.34 |
| Gain | 20.7 | 22.4 | 20.9 | 2.22 |
1CON = control [a 24:20% CP:fat (as-fed basis) MR without EOC]; EP = EOC mixed into the 24:20% CP:fat MR at a rate of 1.25 g/d; EPC = EOC mixed into the 24:20% CP:fat MR at a rate of 1.25 g/d in addition of two 10 mL oral doses of liquid EOC at birth and 12 h. All MR were fed at 0.28 kg 2 times per day for 14 d, then 0.43 kg 2 times per day from days 15 to 35, and then MR were fed 1 time per day from day 36 to weaning at day 42.