GROWTH AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF PRERUMINANT CALVES ON GRAIN REPLACED CALF STARTER

Twenty four crossbred female calves were divided into 3 groups to find out impact of grain replaced diets on growth performance and nutrient digestibility during their preruminant life (0-13 weeks). Three isoni trogenous starter diets containing 50, 0 and 25 per cent maize along w ith green fodder (berseem) were fed ad libitum and whole milk feeding was discontinued at 9 weeks of age. There were no significant inter gr oup differences in DM intake, body weight gain, feed conversion effici ency, dry matter/organic matter digestibility and cost per unit gain. It is concluded that a grainless calf starter with a good quality fodd er can sustain early growth in calves.