V. Skrivanova et al., EFFECT OF AMINO-ACID SUPPLEMENT AMP-50 ON PERFORMANCE, BLOOD AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND DIGESTIBILITY OF NUTRIENTS IN VEAL CALVES, Veterinarni medicina, 38(8), 1993, pp. 485-495
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.