Growth and Health of Holstein Calves Fed Milk Replacers Supplemented with Antibiotics or Enteroguard

Abstract

Forty-five Holstein calves were fed milk replacers containing either antibiotics [MRA (oxytetracycline at 138 mg/kg and neomycin at 276 mg/kg), n = 22)] or Enteroguard [MRE, a blend of fructooligosaccharides, allicin, and gut-active microbes at (129 mg/kg, n = 23)] from birth to 5 wk of age to compare effects on average daily gain and on incidence of scours. Performance was evaluated by measuring weight gain, feed efficiency, and fecal scores. The overall body weight gains and severity of scours were not different between treatments, nor were there differences in starter intake or mean body weight gain. During wk 2, the average gain of calves fed MRA was less than that of calves fed MRE (0.07 vs. 0.09 kg/d, P = 0.09), and greater during wk 5 (0.62 vs. 0.51 kg/d, P < 0.01); however, total gain for calves fed MRE was not different from calves fed MRA. Likewise, average feed efficiencies (gain/dry matter intake) were not different. Severity of scours, as measured by fecal scores, and concentrations of serum proteins, an indirect measure of immunoglobulins, were similar for calves fed MRA and MRE. The results suggest that antibiotics in milk replacers can be replaced with compounds such as fructooligosaccharides, probiotics, and allicin to obtain similar calf performance.

Effects of kefir as a probiotic source on the performance of goat kids

“…A number of factors are involved in the regulation of the efficiency of microbial supplements. Studies have so far focused mainly on age at supplementation (Cruywagen et al, 1996) and environmental factors (Donovan et al, 2002;Krehbiel et al, 2003). On the other hand, the efficacy of probiotics depends on the adaptation of microbial species to the environmental conditions and their ability to survive and compete with pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract, and is closely related with the dose and microbial composition of the probiotic source.…”

“…Low proportions of watery and runny faecal samples presented in Table 2 support the statement above. Lack of benefits of probiotic supplements on diarrhoea incidence might be explained by a very low risk of stress factors and pathogens in studies where environmental factors have been controlled (Cruywagen et al, 1996;Donovan et al, 2002;Krehbiel et al, 2003;Ayışığı et al, 2005).…”

Prebiotics: An Emerging Nutritional Approach for Improving Gut Health of Livestock and Poultry

“…in their faeces (Heinrichs et al, 2009). Antibiotics in milk replacers can be replaced with FOS and probiotics to obtain similar calf performance (Donovan et al, 2002).…”

A New Synbiotic Consisting of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei and Dextran Improves Milk Production in Holstein Dairy Cows

“…Recently, probiotics [2,3,5,10,16,21,23] and prebiotics [4] have gained attention for their role in controlling infectious diseases and improving productive performance in calves. Generally, lactic acid bacteria are well known probiotics and are used as growth promoters to prevent intestinal infections by pathogenic bacteria, decrease stress, and stimulate host immune response [7].…”