Importance of composition and quality of initial nutrition for the development of dairy calves

• Grant number: 20/10881-8
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: August 01, 2021 - July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal researcher: Carla Maris Machado Bittar
• Grantee: Carla Maris Machado Bittar
• Home Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Craig Stephen McConnel ; Gercino Ferreira Virginio Júnior ; Juliano Leonel Gonçalves ; Luiz Lehmann Coutinho ; Marcos Veiga dos Santos

Abstract

The objective of this project is to evaluate how the initial nutrition of neonates affects intestinal bacterial diversity, intestinal and general health, metabolism and performance of dairy calves. For this, three experiments will be carried out, whose focus are:1) Assess the quality, bacterial diversity, the presence of resistant pathogens and antibiotic residue in colostrum and transition milk from dry cows with high and low CCS;2) Assess the impact of the supply of colostrum from dry cows with high or low CCS on intestinal bacterial diversity, intestinal and general health, and performance of dairy calves during the lactation phase;3) Assess the supply of maternal or formulated transitional milk (with powdered colostrum), and its effects on intestinal bacterial diversity, intestinal health and performance of dairy calves;4) Evaluate the effect of correcting medium quality colostrum using powdered colostrum, associated or not with the supply of transitional milk, in the transfer of passive immunity, fecal microbial diversity, health and performance of dairy calves. The animals will be separated from their mothers, colostrum and housed individually. Food consumption and health will be monitored daily, while weekly the animals will be weighed and their body measurements will be recorded. Tests will be carried out to assess intestinal permeability. In two of the experiments, the animals will be slaughtered to determine the intestinal bacterial diversity, by collecting content in different portions of the same. In addition, for the evaluation of metabolism, blood samples will be taken weekly to determine metabolites. (AU)