ChileanJAR

The objetive of this study was to evaluate two starters, which included dried bakery product as the main ingredient, compared with a commercial starter, through the performance of Holstein-Friesian calves from 5 to 63 days of age. Twenty-four Holstein-Friesian calves (12 males and 12 females) were used. Each calf received colostrum from their dam during the first four days of life. At the 5th day, they were allotted at random to the following treatments: I. Whole milk + starter I (70% dried bakery product + 30% soya meal) + hay; II. Whole milk + starter II (70% dried bakery product + 15% dried brewer’s yeast + 3% fish meal + 11% sunflower meal) + hay; and III. Whole milk + commercial starter + hay. Average dailygains (kg) were 0.514, 0.532 and 0.421, respectively for the three groups. Treatment III was different from treatment II (P 0.10) and there were no significant differences among the others. Starter intake was statistically the same (P 0.05), with mean values of 0.738, 0.638 and 0.526 kg/day, respectively, for groups I, II and III. Treatment III had a greater hay intake than treatment I and II (P 0.05), with mean values of 0.260, 0.295 and 0.468 kg/day, respectively, for the three groups. Treatment II had a better feed efficiency than treatment III (P 0.05), and there were no differences among the other; the respective values were: 2.824, 2.546 and 3.220 kg D.M./kg of gain.