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. 1978 Sep 1;19(3):377–391. doi: 10.1186/BF03547607

Indigestion in Young Calves

IV. Lesions of Ruminal Papillae in Young Calves Fed Barley and Barley Plus Hay

Indigestion hos unge kalver: IV. Lesjoner i vompapillene hos unge kalver fôret med bygg og bygg og høy

Thor Landsverk 1,
PMCID: PMC8366372  PMID: 364963

Abstract

Fiftysix calves, in 2 similar experiments, were given 1 of 4 diets including a high lactose milk replacer: ground barley (GB), ground barley plus coarse hay (GB + GH), coarse hay (CH) and the liquid diet only (NS) ; the 2 last diets were held as controls. The calves were on the experimental diet from 1–2 weeks of age until slaughtered at 7-8 weeks of age. As observed by stereo-microscopy, the ruminai papillae in calves fed on GB were thickened, mostly finger- or club-shaped and sometimes nodular; nodular papillae were always arranged on prominent mucosal folds. Scattered nodular papillae had white coats. For calves fed on GB + CH the papillae were mostly finger- or tongue-shaped. Histologically papillae in calves fed on GB had hyperplasia of secondary papillae and epithelial layers. Microabscesses associated with penetrating hairs were frequent, and some calves had dyskeratosis with infiltration of polymorphonuclear leucocytes at the apex of papillae, identified as the white coats. For calves given GB+CH, abscesses and apical dyskeratosis were absent and the hyperplasia of epithelial layers milder than in the case of the GB diet. An ameliorative effect of hay on papillary changes caused by barley is indicated.

Keywords: barley, barley plus hay, rumen, papillary lesions, calves

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Acknowledgments

The author is indebted to B. Bratberg, Veterinary College of Norway, for his assistance with Exp. 1 and to H. Giltvedt, Veterinary College of Norway, for taking the photographs.

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