Replacement of Forage Fiber Sources with Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles and Corn Germ Meal in Holstein Calf Diets》.pdf

Journal of Integrative Agriculture 2014, 13(8): 1753-1758 August 2014 RESEARCH ARTICLE Replacement of Forage Fiber Sources with Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles and Corn Germ Meal in Holstein Calf Diets 1 1 1 1 1 1 XU Jun , HOU Yu-jie , ZHAO Guo-qi , YU Ai-bing , SU Yan-jing , HUO Yong-jiu and ZHU Jian- ming2 1 College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China 2 Dairy Farm of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China Abstract This study was carried out to determine the effect of replacement of forage fiber sources from alfalfa and Leymus chinensis with nonforage fiber sources (NFFS) from dried distillers grains with solubles and corn germ meal on calves growth, rumen development and blood parameters. 48 female and 12 male calves ((110.55±15.36) kg of body weight and 12 wk of age) were assigned randomly to four dietary treatments (15 calves/treatment) in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets were: 0% NFFS (control), 9% NFFS (group 1), 18% NFFS (group 2), 27% NFFS (group 3), and contained equivalent neutral detergent fiber and total digestible nutrients, respectively. The dry matter intake was similar among diets, averaging 3.33 kg d-1, and no differences were detected for body weight, withers height, body length and heart girth. In addition, the development of rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum also were similar among diets. Dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber digestibilities increased with the increasing levels of NFFS in the experimental diets, but had no significant effect. Blood urea nitrogen, total protein and glubulin were not affected by the dietary treatment, but group 3 resulted in the highest (P<0.05) concentrations of