Use of Lactobacillus farciminis to improve antioxidant status of Tuj lambs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus farciminis on growth traits and antioxidant status in preweaning and postweaning Tuj lambs. Twenty lambs were divided into four groups, regardless of gender, with a mean live weight of 7.81 ± 0.50 kg. At the start of the experiment, the average age of the lambs was seven days. During the six-week preweaning period, control (C) lambs were fed with colostrum only, and Lactobacillus farciminis was given orally to the treated lambs at 1 g/day/lamb (L1), 2 g/day/lamb (L2) or 4 g/day/lamb (L3). The experiment continued for a total of 22 weeks. During the first six weeks, bodyweight (BW) increased significantly in L1 at the sixth week. Also during this period, bodyweight gain (BWG) in L2 at 2 - 3 weeks and in L3 at 5 - 6 weeks differed from C. In the subsequent period, BW and BWG were not affected by probiotic supplementation. The effects of probiotic supplementation on malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) were significant throughout the experiment, with the effect on glutathione (GSH) also being important in the first six weeks. Thus, Lactobacillus farciminis provided orally to Tuj breed lambs could be used to improve their antioxidant status without compromising growth.

Different Methods of Eubiotic Feed Additive Provision Affects Health, Performance, Fermentation, and Metabolic Status of Dairy Calves During The Preweaning Period

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate whether different methods of providing eubiotic feed additives, to neonatal calves during the preweaning period, can improve the health, performance, rumen fermentation, and metabolic status of the calves. Forty-four Holstein-Friesian dairy calves, were divided into one of four treatment groups for the 8 week trial. The eubiotic feed additives consisted of a combination of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. (multiple-strains) at a dose of 250 mg/calf/d and phytobiotics containing rosmarinic acid, as the main bioactive compound, at a dose of 50 mg/calf/d. Treatment differed by the methods that the eubiotic feed additives were provided, and the groups were as follows: CON (control, without eubiotic feed additive in their milk replacer or their starter feed), MR (eubiotic feed additives added to the milk replacer), SF (eubiotic feed additives added to the starter feed), MRS (eubiotic feed additives added to the milk replacer and the starter feed). Individual intake of starter feed was measured daily and body weights weekly until 56 d of age. Results The body weight of the MR treatment group calves were higher on days 28 and 56. Including the eubiotic feed additive in the milk replacer affected increasing average daily gain, starter intake and total dry matter intake from d 29 to d 56 and the overall experimental period in comparison to the CON group. The calves of the MR treatment had lower fecal scores from d 3 to d 28, number of parasite oocysts/cysts per gram of feces on d 28, and the occurrences of faecal consistency scores of 3 (mild diarrhea) and 4 (confirmation diarrhea) were 3.2 and 3.0 times lower, respectively, compared with animals of the CON group. Also, in this group higher ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids, propionate, and butyrate were noted on d 56 compared to CON group. Adding eubiotics into milk replacer resulted the highest concentrations of blood insulin-like growth factor-I and β-hydroxybutyrate from d 29 to 56 and through the entire experimental period. Conclusion The addition of eubiotic feed additives into the milk replacer can improve health, performance, rumen fermentation, and biochemical blood indices in dairy calves during the preweaning period.

Beef productivity of steers when feeding protein-vitamin-mineral additive and protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate

The purpose of the work was to study the influence of protein-vitamin-mineral additive and protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate on the growth, development and meat productivity of steers. Studies have been carried out on the rearing of steers when using the protein-vitamin-mineral additive based on extruded soybean with bentonite in the preweaning period and the protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate (with urea concentrate) when fattening steers. During the first research and production experiment in the calves of the 1st experimental group 30 % and in the bovine calves of the 2nd experimental group 40 % milk replacer have been replaced with a protein-mineral-vitamin additive. At the beginning of the experiment the calves of all groups had almost the same live weight. Starting from the age of 1,5 months the growth of the animals of the experimental groups began to prevail over the control group. Thus, the bull calves of the 1st experimental group at 2 months of age were larger than the control ones by 5,1 %, by the end of the experiment their superiority was 7,6 % (P < 0,01). The total gain in live weight of the bull calves of the 2nd experimental group was 9,4 % higher (P < 0,001) than in the control group. During the second research and production experiment on the use of protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate the difference in feeding was that the steers of the experimental group consumed complete feed, which included protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate (with urea concentrate) and bentonite. The gain in live weight of calves for 5 months of experiment in the control group was 136,7 kg, and in the experimental group it was 11,4 % more. The expenditures of feed per 1 kg of gain in EFU were by 10,1 % lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. The level of profitability of beef production in the control group was 16,1 %, and in the experimental group it was 26,5 %, which was more by 10,4 abs.%.

The use of smectite kizelgur in diets when rearing calves of the preweaning period

The use of grain feed mixtures in the diets of young cattle at an early age does not fully meet their need for minerals, because of which other nutrients cannot be used eff ectively enough. In this regard the current situation determines the need to use and develop recipes for grain feed mixtures with the inclusion of relatively inexpensive natural mineral additives in their composition from the early age of calves. The purpose of the work was to experimentally substantiate the inclusion in the grain feed mixture of different doses of smectite kizelgur and their effect on the productivity of young cattle during the preweaning period with its summer and winter housing. The doses of inclusion of smectite kizelgur in the composition of grain feed mixture for calves of the preweaning period and their effect on productivity and energy consumption per unit of growth have been studied. The most effective doses of smectite kizelgur in the composition of grain feed mixture for calves during the preweaning growing period under the conditions of their summer and winter maintenance have been established. In the experiment the content of vital chemical elements from different parts of the calves’ body in the hair has been studied as an indicator of the mineral status of their body when feeding smectite kizelgur in the grain feed mixture. It has been found during the research that when rearing calves in the preweaning period the use of different doses of smectite kizelgur in the diet has the positive effect on their growth and development, interior indicators and increases the economy of the industry. The inclusion of 20 g/head/day in the grain mixture in the summer period, and 30 g/head/day in the winter period of smectite kizelgur is the most economically justified.

A Cohort Study Risk Factor Analysis for Endemic Disease in Pre-Weaned Dairy Heifer Calves

Dairy heifer calves experience high levels of contagious disease during their preweaning period, which may result in poor welfare, reduced performance or mortality. We determined risk factors for disease in a cohort study of 492 heifers recruited from 11 commercial UK dairy farms. Every animal received a weekly examination by a veterinarian from birth to nine weeks using the Wisconsin scoring system. Multivariable models were constructed using a hierarchical model with calf nested within farm. Outcome variables for each disease included a binary outcome (yes/no), disease duration and a composite disease score (CDS) including both severity and duration. Diarrhoea, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and umbilical disease were recorded in 48.2%, 45.9% and 28.7% of calves, respectively. A higher heifer calving intensity in the week of birth reduced the CDS for diarrhoea, with a marginal benefit of improved passive transfer (serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) measured at recruitment). The CDS for BRD was reduced by housing in fixed groups, higher mean temperature in month of birth, increasing milk solids fed, increasing IgG, and higher plasma IGF-1 at recruitment. Conversely, higher calving intensity and higher temperature both increased the CDS for umbilical disease, whereas high IGF-1 was again protective. Although good passive transfer reduced the severity of BRD, it was not significant in models for diarrhoea and umbilical disease, emphasising the need to optimise other aspects of management. Measuring IGF-1 in the first week was a useful additional indicator for disease risk.

Effect of increased intake of milk replacer in young calves on growth and the neonatal mode of action of IGF-I.

Background Optimizing growth and rumen development of calves in the preweaning period can lead to reduced costs of raising replacement heifers, bulls and fattening beef cattle. In the neonatal period, the quantity and quality of milk replacer consumed by calves directly impacts their growth, development and maturational changes in the somatotropic axis. This study evaluated the effects of plane of nutrition in neonatal calves on growth, development of the somatotropic axis and mode of action of IGF-I. Eight Holstein bull calves (3–4 days old) were fed either a low (LM, average 0.63 kg DM/d) or high (HM, average 1.15 kg DM/d) level of a 28% crude protein milk replacer until slaughtered at 41–42 days old.Results Compared to LM calves, calves on the HM diet had heavier (P < 0.01) body, carcass and semitendinosus muscle weights at slaughter. At three weeks of age, plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations rose more rapidly in HM calves and were significantly higher at three, four and six weeks of age compared to LM calves. IGF-I mRNA levels were higher (P < 0.01) in liver, and lower (P < 0.01) in longissimus dorsi muscle in HM calves compared to LM calves. Growth hormone and IGF-I receptor mRNA levels in liver and muscle were not affected by plane of nutrition.Conclusions Increasing intake of a high-protein milk replacer in suckling calves improved growth rate in the preweaning period. The higher plane of nutrition promoted a shift towards an endocrine mode of IGF-I action and a decline in the autocrine/paracrine IGF-I control of muscle growth.