Feed Supplements for Young Dairy Breed Calves After Turn-Out to Pasture: Effect on Weight Gain and Subclinical Coccidiosis in Organic Production Systems

Abstract

On two organic farms, the effect of supplementation with either home-grown barley or organic commercial concentrates primarily based on local protein sources and barley, on weight gain and subclinical coccidiosis was investigated in 3 -5 months old dairy breed calves in the period after turn-out to ryegrass/clover pastures. The calves (mean liveweight9SD, 1249 24 kg and 1339 24 kg on Farm I and II respectively) were supplemented daily with 3 kg energy and protein-rich commercial concentrates (group EP), 3 kg barley (group E) or 1 2 kg barley (group Eres) for 8 weeks following turn-out on pasture.Daily weight gains in the 8 weeks were for Farm I: 1216 and 1042 g/day for group EP and E (P B0.01) and for Farm II: 1071, 671 and 770 g/day for group EP, E and Eres respectively (PB 0.001). However, liveweights were similar between groups at housing, although group EP had significantly higher liveweight at housing on Farm I (PB 0.01). Initial liveweight had effects on daily gain in the grazing season, but supplementation with energy and protein reduced this effect on Farm I. No clinical signs of coccidiosis were observed, but markedly higher levels of oocysts per gram faeces (opg) were observed on Farm II, using pastures previously grazed by cattle compared to Farm I. Calves having a maximum oocyst count above 5 000 opg were subclinically affected by coccidiosis, as indicated by low faecal dry matter and reduction in daily gain of 222 g/day (PB 0.05). It is concluded that liveweight can be increased when supplementing calves with organic concentrates rich in energy and protein in the period following turn-out compared to supplementation with barley alone. However the overall gain at the end of the grazing season is limited due to compensatory growth in the grazing period following supplementation.

Anthelmintic effects of forage chicory (Cichorium intybus) against gastrointestinal nematode parasites in experimentally infected cattle

“…Feeds were adjusted to in vivo OMD% following the regression formulas recommended by the Nordic Feed Evaluation System (NorFor; Volden, 2011) as follows: (a) chicory silage in vivo OMD% = 6·73 + 0·950 × in vitro OMD%, (b) fresh chicory in vivo OMD% = 4·1 + 0·959 × in vitro OMD%, (c) concentrate in vivo OMD% = 5·38 + 0·867 × in vitro OMD%. ME from all feeds was calculated from NEL values divided by 0·65 (Nielsen et al 2003) and expressed as mega joule (MJ) kg −1 DM. The content of CT and SL were investigated in samples of all experimental feeds collected at the start of Exp.…”

Alternative approaches to control of parasites in livestock: Nordic and Baltic perspectives

“…This is a fact often overlooked by sheep or cattle farmers, e.g. if they have a permanent, after-lambing collecting paddock or if calves as a rule are grazed in close vicinity of the farm [ 17 ]. In the case of sheep, similar management practices may also result in problems of nematodirosis in early season (“lamb-to-lamb” disease) as observed in Denmark [ 18 ].…”