Rearing dairy calves on irrigated tropical pastures, 2. Effect of levels of maize and cottonseed meal on growth of weaner calves [dairy cattle]
1992
Moss, R.J. (Queensland Dept. of Primary Industries, Ipswich (Australia). Mutdapilly Research Station) | Goodchild, I.K.
52 Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS) calves were weaned at 70 kg liveweight onto irrigated and fertilised couch (Cynodon dactylon)-pangola (Digitaria decumbens) pastures in north Queensland. They were offered supplements of maize (9.5 percent crude protein) or a mixture of 5 maize: 1 cottonseed meal (15 percent crude protein) fed at 1.0 or 1.5 kg per calf per day in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment. Additional supplementation with maize above 1 kg per calf per day did not increase liveweight gain in calves of up to 130 kg liveweight. Inclusion of cottonseed meal in the supplement increased calf growth at the higher level of supplementation and calves reached 130 kg liveweight 2 weeks earlier than calves fed maize. The interaction of level of feeding with protein content of the supplement was significant. Calves reared in the wet season gained less (0.47 kg per day) than calves reared in the dry season (0.60 kg per day). Animal responses to supplementary feeding were similar in both seasons, but even at high levels of supplementation, and with added protein, calves reared in the wet season did not maintain desired growth rates over this period.
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