PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVY VEAL CALVES FED CORN GRAIN AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
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Abstract
A trial was conducted to, firstly, demonstrate heavy veal or grain-fed veal production and, secondly, to examine the effect of fishmeal quality, used as part of the protein supplement, on growth and feed effciency. Twenty-four Friesian X Holstein male calves, with an initial age of ca 100 days, were assigned to two treatments using a completely randomized experimental design, with 3 repetitions per treatment and 4 calves per replicate. After a period of adaptation of 12 days they were offered rations consisting of 3 parts corn grain and one part a protein supplement. Those in treatment 1 received a supplement “P” which included 25% “Prime” fishmeal, while the calves in treatment 2 were fed a supplement “S”, which included the same level of a “standard” fishmeal, with the difference between the fishmeals being the drying temperature used in their production. Every group of calves received water and their respective rations ad libitum. The trial ended when the calves reached a live weight of around 200 kg. The total weight gains were 128.6 and 118.3 kg while the daily gains were 1.53 and 1.41 kg for treatments 1 and 2, respectively (P>0.05). During the second half of the trial (last 42 days) calves on treatment 1 had a total gain of 73.3 kg (1.,74 kg d-1) while those in treatment 2 gained 63.0 kg (1.50 kg d-1) (P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between treatments in total DM intake, values being 347.2 and 330.0 kg, nor in effciency of feed conversion (2.71 and 2.84 kg kg-1) for treatments 1 and 2 respectively. Dressing percentage of carcasses, determined in a sample of calves was 55.4 and 54.8 % for treatments 1 and 2, respectively (P>0,05). It is concluded that heavy calves can be produced in our region with male calves which are a by-product of the dairy production system. The protein quality of the supplement had a small but significant effect, especifically during the last part of the fattening process.