EFFECT OF AMINO-ACID SUPPLEMENT AMP-50 ON PERFORMANCE, BLOOD AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND DIGESTIBILITY OF NUTRIENTS IN VEAL CALVES

The aim of this work was to estimate the effect of an AMP-50 amino aci d supplement (Jaminex, Jablonec nad Nisou,Czech Republic) on performan ce, conversion of nutrients, rumen, blood and biochemical parameters i n veal calves. This supplement contains 3.3 g of free amino acids per 1 l. Fourteen male calves (Black Pied), four weeks of age at the begin ning of the trial used were. The average live weight of calves in the control and experimental group was 53.4 and 54.9 kg, resp. All calves received a commercial milk replacer Biosan. Calves of the experimental group received 1 ml of AMP-50 per 100 kg of live weight (according to the manufacturer's instruction). The amino acid supplement insignific antly increased daily weight gains by 9.1 % on average (Tab. I). Exper imental calves consumed less nutrients per 1 kg of weight gain (Tab. I I), the differences were not however significant. Digestibilities of n utrients were insignificantly higher in the experimental group (Tab. I II). Rumen parameters are presented in Tab. IV. Concentrations of isob utyric and isovaleric acid were similar in both groups. The amount of amino acids in the supplement was probably too low to increase the lev els of amino acid-derived VFA in rumen fluid. In addition to this, the deaminase activity of rumen content of veal calves seems to be rather low. There were no large differences in blood and biochemical paramet ers (presented in Tab. V) between the control and experimental group. Tab. V documents the high level of hemoglobin in both groups and norma l values of hematocrit and number of erythrocytes. Health of calves wa s satisfactory, except 6th - 8th week of age. In this period calves su ffered from diarrhoea and respiratory diseases. High numbers of leucoc ytes reflect these problems (Tab. VI). Lower levels of standard bicarb onate (16.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 20.2 +/- 0.7 mmol/l) and serum calcium (1.87 /- 0.13 vs. 2.39 +/- 0.07 mg/l) indicate subacute metabolic acidosis ( Tab. VIII). These changes may be related to dehydration caused by diar rhoea. On the other hand, only normal values of transaminases (ALT and AST) were found. There was no relationship between the AMP-50 supplem entation and health of calves.