BODY-WEIGHT GAIN AND FEED-INTAKE IN CALVE S SUPPLEMENTED WITH UREA ORMEAT MEAL

This experiment was conducted to evaluate body weight gain and feed in take of early-weaned calves fed with diets supplemented with urea or m eat meal. Nine Holstein calves with 57 kg of mean body weight were use d during 84 days in a completely randomized design to compare two trea tments: TI, hay + concentrate containing urea and T2, hay + concentrat e containing meat meal. The hay was ground and consisted of 30% of die t. Average dry matter intakes and body weight gains were higher for T2 (2904 vs. 2567 g/day and 817 vs. 712 g/day, respectively), but feed c onvertion rates were similar between treatments (mean of 3,59).