Effects of Using Probiotics on the Growth Performance and Health of Dairy Calves

Authors : Mesut IŞIK, Figen EKİMLER

Pages : 63-69

View : 21 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of probiotics on the live weight, live weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency and health condition of calves. Nineteen Holstein calves, divided into 2 similiar groups in terms of age, sex and live weight, were used in the trial. The first group of calves were given a probiotic at 20 g/day during the first 2 weeks and 40 g/day in the following weeks, via milk during the first 3 months and later on via drinking water. The other group received no probiotic. Both groups were started in the second week on the same concentrate and good quality alfalfa hay ad libitum, in addition to milk. The probiotic used was a commercial preparation containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus termophilus and Aspergillus niger. Live weight at the end of the experiment, average daily live weight gain, average daily concentrate and insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(concentrate + hay); intake, feed efficiency ratio calculated as insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(concentrate + hay); / live weight gain for the no probiotic and probiotic groups were 145.80 ± 2.28 and 152.00 ± 3.97 kg, 631.6 ± 14.7 and 681.6 ± 15.5 g; 1.727 ± 0.05 and 1.705 ± 0.06 kg; 2.403 ± 0.067 and 2.309 ± 0.071 kg; 3.80 ± 0.07 and 3.38 ± 0.08, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the groups, except for the daily live weight gain insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05); and feed efficiency ratio insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.01);. Diarrhea was observed in the control group, while there were no health problems in the probiotic group.
Keywords : Calf, probiotics, performance