G. Flachowsky et al., INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FEEDING INTENSITIES ON THE GROWTH AND BODY-COMPOSITION OF CALVES, Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 76(1), 1996, pp. 9-21
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).