Abstract
Four experiments comprising 86 calves have been carried out in order to examine the influence of ground barley, coarse and fine hay, when raising young calves on a high lactose milk replacer causing diarrhoea. The frequency of diarrhoea decreased when feeding barley (P < 0.01) or fine hay (P < 0.001), but increased when feeding coarse hay (P<0.01). Barley increased (P < 0.01) live weight gain and carcass weight, reduced (P < 0.001) rumen pH, favoured gram-positive cocci and rods in the rumen, caused hyperkeratosis and gave increased (P < 0.01) empty reticulo-rumen weights, the latter being supposed to be enhanced by hyperkeratosis. The calves ate more (P < 0.001) fine than coarse hay, fine hay being superior (P < 0.01) in promoting growth of the rumen. All hay maintained a predominantly gram-negative rumen flora, but somewhat different from that on the milk replacer, and counteracted (P < 0.01) low pH in the rumen and apparently also hyperkeratosis due to barley. The results with barley indicated no relationship between diarrhoea and hyperkeratosis.
Keywords: barley, hay, indigestion, calves
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.0 MB).
Acknowledgment
We wish to thank the Agricultural Research Council of Norway for financial aid, Peter M}øller A/S for lending us facilities for 1 experiment and providing most of the ingredients used in the milk replacer, Wessels Kabelfabrikk A/S for providing the fine hay FH 2, and The Government’s Agricultural Control Station, Moss, for analysing the feedstuffs.
References
- Brownlee A. The development of rumen papillae in cattle fed on different diets. Brit. vet. J. 1956;112:369–375. doi: 10.1016/S0007-1935(17)46456-6. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
- Fell B F, Kay M, Whitelaw F G, Boyne R. Observations on the development of ruminal lesions in calves fed on barley. Res. vet. Sci. 1968;9:458–466. doi: 10.1016/S0034-5288(18)34533-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Flatt W P, Warner R G, Loosli J K. Influence of purified materials on the development of the ruminant stomach. J. Dairy Sci. 1958;41:1593–1600. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(58)91138-X. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
- Kay M, Fell B F, Boyne R. The relationship between the acidity of the rumen contents and rumenitis in calves fed on barley. Res. vet. Sci. 1969;10:181–187. doi: 10.1016/S0034-5288(18)34468-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mullen P A. Rumen liquor pH, osmolality and volatile fatty acid changes in calves fed intensively on barley with hay added. Brit. vet. J. 1973;129:267–276. doi: 10.1016/S0007-1935(17)36490-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Roy J H B. The Calf; Nutrition and Health. 1970;2:7–8. [Google Scholar]
- Sandler E G, Warner R G, Harrison H N, Loosli J K. The stimulatory effect of sodium butyrate and sodium propionate on the development of rumen mucosa in the young calf. J. Dairy Sci. 1959;42:1600–1605. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(59)90772-6. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
- Slagsvold P, Laksesvela B, Flatlandsmo K, Krogh N, Ulstein T L, Ek N, Landsverk T. Indigestion in young calves. 1. Different lactose levels in milk diets and milk replacers. Acta vet. scand. 1977;18:194–209. doi: 10.1186/BF03548448. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tamate H, McGilliard A D, Jacobson N L, Getty R. Effect of various dietaries on the anatomical development of the stomach in the calf. J. Dairy Sci. 1962;45:408–420. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(62)89406-5. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
- Warner R G, Flatt W P, Loosli J K. Dietary factors influencing the development of the ruminant stomach. Agric. Food Chem. 1956;4:788–792. doi: 10.1021/jf60067a003. [DOI] [Google Scholar]