Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T18:49:58.164Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of teat flow rate in commercial milk feeding systems on calf digestion and performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2015

R. McInnes ,
D. McInnes ,
R. Papworth  and
A. McIntyre
R. McInnes*
Affiliation:
McInnes Manufacturing, 54 Cove Road, Waipu, Whangarei 0510, New Zealand
D. McInnes
Affiliation:
McInnes Manufacturing, 54 Cove Road, Waipu, Whangarei 0510, New Zealand
R. Papworth
Affiliation:
McInnes Manufacturing, 54 Cove Road, Waipu, Whangarei 0510, New Zealand
A. McIntyre
Affiliation:
McInnes Manufacturing, 54 Cove Road, Waipu, Whangarei 0510, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author:ross@milkbar.co.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Seventy two, one day old Friesian heifer calves were fed whole milk either via regular or slow release teats on commercial calfeteria systems (Milkbar, McInnes Manufacturing Limited, Waipu, New Zealand) for 42 days. For the entire period, the consumption time for the calves fed on the regular flow rate teat calfeterias was twice as fast as for those fed using the slow teats. Meal intake was numerically higher for the calves fed milk using the slow teats. At day 42, calves on the slow teats had a strong trend towards higher daily gain. At 14 days of age, visual differences in curding were seen in the abomasum of culled calves, with the fast teat-fed animals having large lumps of curded milk surrounded by watery liquid, whereas the slow teat-fed calves had much smaller particle sized curding in thicker fluid. Lactose digestion in the stomach was significantly higher for the calves fed using the slow teats, and there was a strong trend for higher levels of free protein in the ileum. Using slow flow rate teats to feed calves from day old to weaning appears to have an important impact on digestive processes in the immature gut. Such improvements in digestion and rumen development in young calves may assist in the digestion of milk and other feeds, leading to improved growth performance. Under farm conditions, slow release teat systems may reduce scours and other digestive problems in young calves during peak milk intake (up to 15 d of age), due to increased ileal digestion of nutrients, preventing undigested nutrient flow to the hind gut. It may also reduce cross-sucking behaviour in calves, which is undesirable.

Keywords

calfteat flow ratedigestionfeed intakerumen development
Type
Original Research
Information
Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition , Volume 3 , 2015 , e11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition Ltd. 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albright, J.L., and Arave, C.W. (1997). The behavior of cattle. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Appleby, M.C., Weary, D.M., and Chua, B. (2001). Performance and feeding behavior of calves on ad libitum milk from artificial teats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 74 (3): 191–201.Google Scholar
Blowey, R.W. (2008). Digestive disorders of calves. Pages 231–238 in Bovine Medicine: Diseases and Husbandry of Cattle. 2nd Ed. Andrews, A.H., Blowey, R.W., Boyd, I. and Eddy, R.G., ed. John Wiley and Sons, NJ, USA.Google Scholar
de Passillé, A.M.B. (2001). Sucking motivation and related problems in calves. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 72: 175–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frantzen, J., Toullec, R., Thivend, P., and Mathieu, C.M. (1973). Influence de la coagulation des proteins sur la vidange stomacale chez le veau pre ruminant. Annals of Biology Animals Biochemistry and Biophysics. 13: 718.Google Scholar
Haley, D.B., Rushen, J., Duncan, I.J.H., Widowski, T.M. and de Passille, A.M. (1998). Effects of resistance to milk flowand the provision of hay on nonnutritive sucking by dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science. 81:2165–2172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herskin, M.S., Skjoth, F. and Jensen, M.B. (2010). Effects of hunger level and tube diameter on the feeding behavior of teat-fed dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 93 (5):2053–2059.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jasper, J., and Weary, D.M. (2002). Effects of ad libitum milk intake on dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 85: 3054–3058.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, M.B. (2003). The effects of feeding method, milk allowance and social factors on milk feeding behavior and cross-sucking in group housed dairy calves. Applied Animal Behavior Science 80 (3): 191–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, M.B., and Budde, M. (2006). The effects of milk feeding method and group size on behavior and cross-sucking in group-housed dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (12): 4778–4783.Google Scholar
Jung, J., and Lidfors, L. (2001). Effects of amount of milk, milk flow and access to a rubber teat on cross-sucking and non-nutritive sucking in dairy calves. Applied Animal Behavior Science 72 (3): 201–213.Google Scholar
Longenbach, J.I., and Heinrichs, A.J. (1998). A review of the importance and physiological role of curd formation in the abomasums of young calves. Animal Feed Science and Technology 73 (1–2): 85–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Margerison, J.K., Preston, T.R., Berry, N. and Phillips, C.J.C. (2003). Cross-suckingand other oral behaviours in calves and their relation to cow suckling and food provision. Applied Animal Behavior Science 80: 277–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, J.W.G. (1969). Digestion in the pre-ruminant animal. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 28 (1): 115–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radostits, O.M., and Bell, J.M. (1970). Nutrition of the pre-ruminant dairy calf with special reference to the digestion and absorption of nutrients: a review. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 50:405–452.Google Scholar
Smith, R.H., and Sissons, J.W. (1975). The effect of different feeds, including those containing soya-bean products, on the passage of digesta from the abomasum of the prereuminant calf. British Journal of Nutrition 33: 329–349.Google Scholar
Strudsholm, F. (1988). The effect of curd formation in the abomasum on the digestion of milk replacers in preruminant calves. Acta Agricultura Scandinavia 38 (3): 321–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ternouth, J.H., and Roy, J.H.B. (1973). The effect of diet and feeding technique on digestive function in the calf. Annals of Veterinary Research 4 (1): 19–30.Google Scholar
Wise, G.H., and Lemaster, J.P. (1968). Response of calves to open-pail and nipple-pail systems. Journal of Dairy Science 51: 452–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar