Intercation of the liquid diet composition and physical form of concentrate on dairy calves gastrointestinal tract development

• Grant number: 24/06597-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Carla Maris Machado Bittar
• Grantee: Filippe Viana Leite Barbosa
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During the lactation phase, the type of liquid diet provided has a great influence on the performance, health and development of the dairy calf, which will have immediate and long-term effects, impacting future production. In turn, the physical form of the solid diet is related to the early development of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the association of two liquid diet alternatives (whole milk thickened with Kalvolac substitute or Kalvolac substitute diluted to 15% solids) with different concentrates (micropelletized or multiparticle) and their effects on gastrointestinal development. 20 male Holstein calves will be used, which will be blocked according to birth date and birth weight, and will be randomly distributed into 4 treatments: 1) Whole milk powder diluted to 12.5% solids and thickened with 25g /L of Kalvolac, associated with micropelletized concentrate; 2) Powdered milk diluted to 12.5% solids and thickened with 25 g/L of Kalvolac, associated with multiparticle concentrate; 3) Kalvolac diluted to 15% solids associated with micropelletized concentrate; and 4) Kalvolac diluted to 15% solids associated with multiparticle concentrate. The animals will be colostrumed with two packets of powdered colostrum (SCCL, Saskatchew, Canada), that is, corresponding to 200 g IgG, the animals will be breastfed with the respective liquid diet. The supply volume will be 6L/d in the first week, 8L/d from the 8th to the 21st, returning to 6L/d until 56 days of age, when they will be gradually weaned by reducing 1L/d, until on the day 62 are completely weaned. At 63 days of life, the 5 animals from each treatment will be slaughtered to measure the weight of the gastrointestinal compartments, histological and morphometric analysis.