EFFECT OF AN INTEGRAL WHEAT OR MAIZE CONCENTRATE ON CALF PERFORMANCE

Forty eight female calves of 12 to 90 days of age were used in a rando m block with 6 replications with two animals in each one. The treatmen ts were as follow A) maize concentrate and long hay given separately; B) integral maize concentrate with 20% ground hay; C) wheat concentrat e and long hay given separately and D) integral wheat concentrate with 20% ground hay. All the animals received concentrate and roughage ad libitum from 21 to 90 days of age and 6 litres of yogourt from 12 to 3 0 days twice daily and 4 litres from 31 to 60 days once. Live weight a nd daily gains (from 12 to 60 days and from 12 to 90 days) in the whea t and long hay treatment were poorer than the remaining treatments. Fe ed consumption and nutrients did not differ between treatments. The po orest performance of calves fed wheat concentrates or long hay indicat es that it is possible to obtain a better efficiency of utilization of the feed and live weight gains when the integral wheat concentrate an d 20% of ground hay was used.