Dung treated by high-temperature composting is an optimal bedding material for suckling calves according to analyses of microbial composition, growth performance, health status, and behavior

J.Y. Zhou; H.M. Zhong; Z.G. An; K.F. Niu; X.X. Zhang; Z.Q. Yao; J. Yuan; P. Nie; L.G. Yang

Journal of Dairy Science (Jul 2023)

Dung treated by high-temperature composting is an optimal bedding material for suckling calves according to analyses of microbial composition, growth performance, health status, and behavior

J.Y. Zhou,
H.M. Zhong,
Z.G. An,
K.F. Niu,
X.X. Zhang,
Z.Q. Yao,
J. Yuan,
P. Nie,
L.G. Yang

Affiliations

J.Y. Zhou: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
H.M. Zhong: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Z.G. An: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
K.F. Niu: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
X.X. Zhang: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Z.Q. Yao: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
J. Yuan: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
P. Nie: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
L.G. Yang: Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; National Center for International Research on Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (NCIRAGBR), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Province's Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, Wuhan 430070, China; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 106, no. 7
pp. 4785 – 4798

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: Bedding materials are important for suckling buffalo calves. Treated dung has been used as a bedding material for dairy cows but the lack of an appropriate safety assessment limits its application. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of treated dung (TD) as a bedding material for suckling calves by comparing TD with rice husk (RH) and rice straw (RS) bedding materials. The TD was prepared through high-temperature composting by Bacillus subtilis. Thirty-three newborn suckling buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis, 40.06 ± 5.79 kg) were randomly divided into 3 bedding material groups (TD, RH, and RS) and bedded with 1 of the 3 bedding materials for 60 d. We compared cost, moisture content, bacterial counts, and microbial composition of the 3 bedding materials, and investigated growth performance, health status, behavior, rumen fermentation, and blood parameters of bedded calves. The results showed that TD contained the fewest gram-negative bacteria and coliforms on d 1 and 30 and the lowest relative abundance of Staphylococcus throughout the experiment. The RH and TD bedding materials had the lowest cost. Calves in the TD and RS groups showed a higher dry matter intake, and final body weight and average daily gain in the TD and RS groups tended to be higher than in the RH group. Calves in the TD and RS groups had a lower disease incidence (diarrhea and fever), fewer antibiotic treatments, and lower fecal score than calves in the RH group. Higher contents of IgG, IgA, and IgM were observed in calves of the TD and RS groups than in calves of the RH group on d 10, indicating higher immune ability in TD and RS groups. Furthermore, TD bedding increased the butyric acid content in the calf's rumen, whereas RS bedding increased the acetate content, which might be attributed to the longer time and higher frequency of eating bedding material in the RS group. Considering all of the above indicators, we concluded that TD is the optimal bedding material for calves based on economics, bacterial count, microbial diversity, growth performance, and health status. Our findings provide a valuable reference for bedding material choice and calf farming.

Published in Journal of Dairy Science

ISSN: 0022-0302 (Print); 1525-3198 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture: Cattle: Dairy processing. Dairy products; Agriculture: Animal culture: Cattle: Dairying
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-dairy-science

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