NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FABABEANS IN THE DIETS OF YOUNG HOLSTEIN CALVES AND LACTATING DAIRY COWS

Abstract

Growth studies were carried out with calves from 0 to 7 wk and from 8 to 20 wk of age. During the first phase, 36 Holstein calves (male and female) were assigned to two calf starters containing either 13% soybean meal or 30% coarsely ground fababeans (Acker Perle) which were fed free choice. Similar feed intake and growth performances were observed for the two groups. During the 8–20 wk period, the above calves plus eight more (females) were placed on test and assigned to four diets containing either 10% soybean meal, 3.5% soybean meal + 0.8% urea, 24% fababeans or 8.5% fababeans + 0.8% urea as the supplementary nitrogen sources. No significant (P < 0.05) differences were observed for feed intake, weight gain and feed efficiency ratios among the four treatments. Replacement of soybean meal with fababeans in two experiments had no significant (P < 0.05) effect on feed intake, milk yield or milk composition, but did result in greater (P < 0.05) loss in body weight of cows receiving the fababeans containing diets in one experiment. Cows receiving 50% grain diets consumed more (P < 0.01) hay DM and less (P < 0.05) grain supplement than those fed 70% grain diets and a similar amount of total dry matter. This significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the acetate:propionate ratios and the milk fat (%) between the two levels of grain feedings. With similar levels of fibre in the diets, replacing soybean meal with fababeans had no apparent effect on fat test; however, milk protein content was reduced (P < 0.05).