Evaluation and Development of a Nutrition Model to Predict Intake and Growth of Suckling Calves

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate and develop equations to predict forage intake and growth of calves throughout the suckling period of beef calves grazing on forage or dairy calves fed harvested forage. Milk and forage intake and body weight data for individual animals were collected from published theses (one using bottle-fed dairy calves and one using suckling beef calves). A nutrition model was constructed using milk and forage intake equations and growth equations. Additional datasets were compiled from the literature to develop equations to adjust the original nutrition model for forage digestibility, milk composition, and growth. In general, the original nutrition model predicted the forage intake and body weight of dairy calves with moderate-to-high precision (CCC = 0.234 to 0.929) and poor accuracy (MB = −341.16 to −1.58%). Additionally, the original nutrition model predicted forage intake and body weight in beef calves with poor-to-moderate precision (CCC = 0.348 to 0.766) and accuracy (MB = 6.39 to 57.67%). Adjusted nutrition models performed better with the best model precisely (CCC = 0.914) predicting forage intake and precisely (CCC = 0.978) and accurately (MB = 2.83%) predicting body weight in dairy calves. The best adjusted nutrition model predicted forage intake and body weight with high precision (CCC = 0.882 and 0.935) and moderate accuracy (MB = −7.01 and −7.34) in beef calves. Nutrition models were able to adequately predict the forage intake and growth of calves with adjustments made to standard milk energy concentrations and growth equations.