EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE OF MILK REPLACER AND METHOD OF FEEDING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF HOLSTEIN VEAL CALVES

Abstract

The influences of the temperatures of milk replacer (warm, 37 C; room, 18 C; or cold, 1.5 C) and of feeding method (limited vs. ad libitum intake) on body weight gain, age at slaughter (100 kg liveweight), dressing percentage, and feed efficiency were studied on 30 and 36 Holstein male calves raised in 1970 and 1971, respectively. Calves reared on cold milk grew 0.124 and 0.142 kg/head per day (P < 0.05) slower than those reared on milk at room or warm temperatures, respectively. Calves reared at room temperature had 0.12 kg (dry matter/body gain) lower feed efficiency and about 0.6% higher dressing percentage. Calves fed ad libitum were superior to those fed limited intake in daily gain (0.043 kg), age at slaughter (4.3 days), dressing percentage (1.8%, P < 0.05), but were inferior in feed efficiency (0.27 kg). The present findings indicated that feeding limited intake of cold milk should be avoided because this treatment resulted in high mortality and several cases of inanition. Year differences were significant (P < 0.01) on dressing percentage and feed efficiency.