INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FEEDING INTENSITIES ON THE GROWTH AND BODY-COMPOSITION OF CALVES

A total of 60 male calves of the Black and White Dairy breed (age: 25 days, initial body weight: 51.7 +/- 5.0 kg) consumed diets consisting of fat-supplemented skim milk and different amounts of artificially dr ied alfalfa and concentrate for 136 days. Diets were fed for 400, 600 or 800 g daily weight gain (feeding intensity A, B or C) to 20 calves each. After 136 days, four calves each were killed, dissolved and the protein, fat and energy content of the empty body, as well as the prot ein, fat and energy gain, were determined. The feeding experiment was continued with other animals to determine compensatory growth. Calves consumed daily 1.51,2.04 and 2.97 kg dry matter, respectively; the dai ly weight gain amounted to 459, 646 and 829 g for the groups A, B and C, respectively. The higher weight gain led to increased empty-body we ight and carcass weight (p < 0.05). The killing-out percentage was not significantly influenced by feeding intensity (p > 0.05). Increased f eeding intensity caused significantly higher depot fat levels (0.92, 1 .79 and 3.0 kg, respectively, per animal), enhanced fat (51.9, 62.0 an d 85.0 g, respectively) and energy content of empty body (6.14, 6.40 a nd 7.42 MJ, respectively per kg fresh matter), as well as increased da ily fat (20.4, 31.8 and 58.5 g, respectively) and energy gain (2.42, 3 .48 and 5.10 MJ for the groups A, B and C, respectively). The protein content of the empty body was not influenced by feeding (181.9, 176.2 and 181.2 g, respectively, per kg fresh matter, p > 0.05), the daily p rotein gain increased as a result of the higher weight gain (71.6, 98. 9 and 124.7 g for the groups A, B and C, respectively; p < 0.05).