Effect of method of delivery of sodium butyrate on rumen development in newborn calves

The effect of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in milk replacer (MR) or in starter mixture (SM) or in both MR and SM on performance, selected blood parameters, and rumen development in newborn calves was determined. Twenty-eight male calves with a mean age of 5 (±1) d were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 groups (7 animals per group) and fed (1) MR and SM, both without SB (MR⁻ and SM⁻, respectively); (2) MR⁻ and SM supplemented with SB encapsulated within a triglyceride matrix (SM⁺, 0.6% as fed; 30:70 butyrate-to-triglyceride matrix); (3) MR supplemented with crystalline SB (MR⁺, 0.3% as fed) and SM⁻; or (4) MR⁺ and SM⁺. The MR was offered in an amount equal to 10% of the initial body weight (BW) of each calf. The SM was blended with whole corn grain (50/50; wt/wt) and offered ad libitum as a starter diet (0.3% encapsulated-within-triglyceride matrix SB when SM⁺ was fed) from the first day of the trial. Calves were slaughtered at d 21 of a trial (mean age 26±1 d). Addition of SB into MR (MR⁺) positively affected BW and average daily gain, tended to decrease the number of days with electrolyte therapies from d 0 to 7, and tended to positively affect fecal consistency from d 8 to 14 of the trial. Inclusion of SB into SM (SM⁺) increased starter diet intake from d 15 to 21, decreased the number of days with scours, and tended to decrease the number of days with electrolyte therapies in the whole trial period. Both MR⁺ and SM⁺ increased plasma glucose in the whole trial period and MR⁺ increased total serum protein at d 14. The SM⁺ increased plasma glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) concentration at d 7 of the trial when compared with the concentration at d 0. Both MR⁺ and SM⁺ increased reticulorumen weight and papillae length and width. Based on these results, it can be concluded that addition of SB in MR positively affected BW gain, health, and some metabolic intermediates of calves and it stimulated rumen development indirectly, whereas SB supplementation in SM stimulated rumen development directly. Addition of SB both in MR and SM could be recommended for rearing calves.