Animals (Apr 2024)

Effect of Milk-Feeding Frequency and Calcium Gluconate Supplementation on Growth, Health, and Reproductive and Metabolic Features of Holstein Heifers at a Rearing Farm

  • Angel Revilla-Ruiz,
  • Patricia Carulla,
  • Aitor Fernandez-Novo,
  • Eduardo de Mercado,
  • Alejandro Pérez-Navarro,
  • Raquel Patrón-Collantes,
  • Francisco Sebastián,
  • Sonia S. Pérez-Garnelo,
  • Juan V. González-Martín,
  • Fernando Estellés,
  • Arantxa Villagrá,
  • Susana Astiz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091336
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 9
p. 1336

Abstract

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We compared the effects of milk-feeding in 288 Holstein calves (72 per group) which were fed twice (2F) or thrice (3F) daily, with or without the addition of hydrogenated fat-embedded calcium gluconate (G) supplemented in the starter food and in the daily diet up to the age of 9 months, on the calves’ metabolism, growth, health, and reproductive efficiency up to first pregnancy. The calves received 6 L of milk replacer (130 g/L) and had ad libitum access to water and textured calf starter with or without gluconate. Gluconate supplementation promoted a “catch-up” in growth in supplemented calves compared to their counterparts that did not receive gluconate. Gluconate appeared to reduce animal metabolic stress during key events, such as weaning and transfer into open-door pens, reducing fructosamine (352.61 vs. 303.06 in 3FG and 3F, respectively; p = 0.028) and urea (3F revealed the highest values compared with the other three groups: 19.06 for 3F vs. 13.9 (2F), 13.7 (2FG), and 14.3 (3FG), respectively, p = 0.002) from weaning onwards. The feeding of dairy calves with milk replacer three rather than two times per day tended to be associated with better health from weaning to 4 months old; parameters such as ultrasound lung score and calf health score improved over time (p p = 0.092). We confirmed significant correlations between early health and growth parameters and reproductive efficiency and a positive correlation between body weight and average daily weight gain and the thickness of the back fat layer in young heifers (r = 0.245; p r = 0.214; p < 0.0001 respectively). Our study was conducted on a commercial farm with reasonably effective animal management, so baseline welfare was likely satisfactory.

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