Comparison of cow's milk and milk substitute in the feeding of early-weaned crossbred calves

Abstract

In the Santa Bárbara farm from Canuto-Chone-Manabí-Ecuador parish, two dairy feeding systems and two weaning periods were evaluated: T1) Cow's milk, weaning 30 days; T2) Cow's milk, weaning 45 days; T3) Ecomilk E.Q. Commercial Dairy Substitute, weaning 30 days; T4) Ecomilk EQ commercial dairy substitute, weaning 45 days, on the productive parameters: Weight (Kg), feed consumption (Kg), weight gain (Kg), feed conversion (Kg / Kg) and cost analysis (U $ ) in 20 crossbred calves 75% Sahiwal / 25% Jersey from 1 day of birth with an average weight of 34.70 ± 0.75 Kg; The calves were housed individually and fed with alfalfa hay, pre-initial concentrate with 25% protein and water ad libitum for 90 days of study. The statistical analysis of the variables studied was carried out from a completely randomized factorial design (2x2) with 5 repetitions per treatment, analyzed in the IBM SPSS Statistical Package version 20. There were no significant differences between the factors under study and their interaction on the productive parameters; while the cost analysis showed a benefit of early weaning at 30 days, with advantages when using the milk substitute. Concluding that, despite not presenting significant differences between the treatments and variables under study, the analysis of costs per feed kilogram consumed based on dry matter, showed benefits in favor of early weaning 30 days, when combining this factor with milk substitute, thus representing a saving of 15%.