THE EFFECTS OF FEEDING WITH MILK REPLACER AND WHOLE MILK ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND REARING COSTS OF HOLSTEIN FRIESIAN CALVES

Abstract

This study was carried out on 28 newborn Holstein Friesian calves reared in a private farm in Hatay. In the experiment, calves were divided into two groups, the first group was fed only whole milk and the second group was fed milk replacer. The daily amount of milk and milk replacer fed to calves was calculated as 10% of the weekly live weight. Calves consumed 700 g of concentrate for three consecutive days were weaned from milk/milk replacer. Daily average concentrated feed consumption 0.366±0.02 and 0.384±0.02 kg (P>0.05); weaning weights 65.15±7.23 and 62.08±7.94 kg; weaning ages 64.77±5.33 and 68.42±4.97 days; average daily live weight gain 0.450±0.05 and 0.392±0.06 kg; total amount of consumed milk and milk replacer 299.07±16.48 and 308.58±25.67 kg; daily average hay consumption 0.198±0.02 and 0.220±0.02 kg; total amount of hay feed consumed 12.86±0.87 and 15.09±1.02 kg; total amount of concentrated feed consumed 23.70±1.87 and 26.31±1.35 kg; initially consuming ages of hay 11.38±0.31 and 12.83±0.27 days; initially consuming ages of concentrated feed 10.38±0.40, 11.92±0.29 days and feed efficiency 2.32±0.16 and 2.83±0.21 respectively. In addition, the number of days that calves had diarrhea, the rates of diarrhea cases, rearing costs and costs of per kg body weight gain were as follows; 1.80±0.25, 3.24±0.36 days; 38.46%, 60%; 998.4±58.4 ve 954.7±62.7 Turkish Liras respectively (P<0.05); 33.33±2.91 and 35.63±3.01 (P>0.05) . The results of the study showed that the calves fed with whole milk had higher growth performance, lower consumption of hay and concentrate feed, diarrhea cases were seen at a lower levels and when the raw milk prices were high and the milk replacer prices were low the calf rearing costs were lower in the calves fed with the milk replacers in comparison to calves fed with whole milk, however, it has been revealed that the costs for per kg of body weight gain were higher in calves fed with milk replacer economically.