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The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of partial replacement of wheat hay with sun-dried (SOC) or acid-treated SOC (ASOC) olive cake on nutrient intake and performance of Awassi lambs. An additional objective was to study the effects of acid treatment of olive cake (OC) on its chemical composition and nutritive value. On DM basis, sun-drying of OC did not dramatically affect its chemical composition. On the other hand, treating SOC with phosphoric acid decreased (p<0.05) SOC contents of neutral detergent fiber. Twenty seven male lambs (17.6±0.75 kg body weight) individually housed in shaded pens were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments (9 lambs/treatment). Dietary treatments were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous by replacing 50% of wheat hay in the control diet (CTL) with SOC or ASOC and to meet all nutrient requirements. Dietary treatments had no effects on nutrient intake or digestibility except for ether extract. Lambs fed the SOC diet had (p = 0.05) faster growth rate, greater final body weight, and greater total body weight gain in comparison with the CTL diet, but not different from the ASOC diet. Additionally, lambs fed the SOC diet had greater (p = 0.03) hot and cold carcass weights than the ASOC diet, but not different from the CTL diet. However, feed conversion ratios and dressing percentages were similar among dietary treatments. In conclusion, replacing half of dietary wheat hay with SOC improved performance of Awassi lambs with no detrimental effects on nutrients intake or digestibility. No further improvements in the nutritive value of SOC and lambs performance were detected when SOC was treated with acid.

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Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of plane of nutrition during (1) the pre- and immediate postweaning periods and (2) the grower phase on the performance and leukocyte responses of Holstein calves. In experiment 1, 39 (2 ± 1 d old) colostrum-fed heifer calves were randomly assigned to 2 planes of nutrition, a low (LPN; n = 19) and a high plane of nutrition (HPN; n = 20). Calves in the LPN treatment were offered 418 g/d of dry matter (DM) of a 20% crude protein (CP)/20% fat milk replacer, whereas calves in the HPN treatment were offered 747 and 1,010 g/d of DM of a 28% CP/20% fat milk replacer during wk 1 and wk 2 to 6, respectively. Calves were offered ad libitum access to a calf starter until the end of the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected on d 3, 10, 21, 45, 47, 53, and 91 for many ex vivo leukocyte responses and biochemical analyses. A nutrition × time interaction was present for average daily gain and feed efficiency (feed:gain ratio). A nutrition × time interaction existed for plasma glucose concentration. Neutrophil L-selectin expression was greater in calves fed the LPN than HPN on d 3 and 21. The percentage of neutrophils producing an oxidative burst (OB) when cocultured with Escherichia coli tended to be greater and was greater in calves fed the LPN than HPN on d 10 and 21, respectively. In addition, neutrophils from calves fed the LPN had greater OB intensity throughout the neonatal period (0 to 21 d). However, plasma haptoglobin was not different between the 2 planes of nutrition throughout the study. In experiment 2, 50 heifer calves that were all previously fed a HPN similar to that described for experiment 1 were randomly assigned to 2 planes of nutrition (HPN and LPN) during the grower phase (5 pens/treatment; 5 calves/pen). Calves fed the HPN during the grower phase were fed 4.1 kg of concentrate DM (pellets; 22.4% CP, DM basis) per head per day, whereas calves on the LPN during the grower phase were fed 1.6 kg of DM of the same concentrate per head per day. All calves were fed alfalfa hay (16.2% CP; DM basis) ad libitum. Overall, average daily gain was greater in HPN calves than LPN calves. No differences were noticed for concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, glucose, neutrophil L-selectin expression, percentage of neutrophils producing OB, and plasma haptoglobin concentration between the 2 planes of nutrition. In summary, intake and performance were improved in calves fed the HPN than calves fed the LPN in both experiments. The neutrophil responses of calves fed an LPN were more active during the preweaning period than calves fed an HPN; however, this response was not observed during the immediate postweaning period or the grower phase.

The objective was to determine if outdoor group housing of Holstein calves influences metabolic status, leukocyte responses, and behavior compared with individually housed calves. Forty-nine Holstein heifer calves (2 ± 1 d of age) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: individually housed (G1; n = 22) or group housed [3 calves per pen (G3); n = 27]. The space allowances per calf were 4.8 and 7.0m(2) for G1 and G3, respectively. All calves were offered an identical plane of milk replacer nutrition (747 and 1,010 g of DM/d of a 28% CP:20% fat milk replacer from wk 1 to 2 and wk 3 to 6, respectively). Weaning was initiated during wk 7 by removing the p.m. feeding and calves were completely weaned when they consumed 900 g of calf starter/d (as fed) for 2 consecutive days after d 54. At d 90, calves were commingled into random outdoor groups of 5 calves per pen. Peripheral blood was collected during the neonatal (d 3, 10, and 21), weaning (d 46, 48, and 54), and commingling periods (d 90, 93, and 98) and was analyzed for neutrophil oxidative burst (OB) capacity when cocultured with Escherichia coli, neutrophil surface L-selectin protein expression, and whole-blood secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α when cocultured with lipopolysaccharide. Starter intake was greater for G3 during the postweaning period (wk 8 to 12). Average daily gain was greater for G3 than G1 from d 54 to 68 and tended to be greater after commingling from d 113 to 133. During the neonatal period, G3 calves had more activated neutrophils, as evidenced by increased neutrophil L-selectin protein expression and a tendency for increased percentage of neutrophils producing an OB than G1 calves. During weaning, G3 calves continued to have more activated neutrophils with increased L-selectin expression on d 46 and 48 and a greater OB intensity throughout the period. No differences were observed among leukocyte responses between treatments at d 93 and 98. Outdoor group-housed Holstein calves had improved performance and heightened neutrophil responses compared with individually housed calves.