PROFITABILITY OF REPLACING MILK WITH A CONCENTRATE FOR CALVES OF COWSREQUIRING CALF AT FOOT FOR MILKING

During a 90-d study in Mali, West Africa, 18 zebu and zebu by Montbeli ard calves, age 50 +/- 23 d (youngest pair 3 weeks), weighing 30 +/- 7 kg, under farmer management, were used to test the profitability of r eplacing suckled milk by a maize-groundnut cake-rice bran concentrate fed dry. During the first 45 d period there were no differences in res ponses of calves receiving concentrate (E) and calves suckling accordi ng to the traditional strategy (C). During the second 45 d period, mil k offtake was greater for E calves, 2.34 vs. 1.77 l/d; milk suckled wa s less for E calves, 0.39 vs. 0.95 l/d; and average daily gain was gre ater for E calves, 442 vs. 139 g/d. Average concentrate consumption wa s 0.74 kg/d. Concentrate was compounded of locally available by produc ts and cost 85 francs/kg. Considering milk sold as the only benefit, n et return to unit feed cost for E calves was 1.24 and for C calves 0.8 1. Adding the value of the weight gain, E calves gave a 1.61 return an d C calves gave a 0.98 return.