Efficiency of raising calves during the milk-feeding period when using whole-grain corn in the diet

This article presents the results of a study on the effect of feeding whole-grain corn during the pre-weaning (milk) period on the productive performance of calves in the post-weaning period. The experiments were conducted at the state enterprise (SE) “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita” on four groups of Black-and-White calves with an average live weight of 102.9–108.7 kg at the age of 116–180 days. The experimental period lasted 65 days. During the milk-feeding period, the control group received a standard compound feed, while the experimental groups were fed a concentrated feed mixture consisting of 70, 60, and 50 % compound feed and 30, 40, and 50 % whole corn grain, respectively. In the post-weaning period, the diet was identical for all groups. The study evaluated feed chemical composition, feed intake, nutrient digestibility, morpho-biochemical blood parameters, rumen fermentation, growth performance, and economic efficiency. It was established that dietary inclusion levels of 30 and 40 % ensured average daily gains of 908 and 868 g (+9.1 and +4.3 % compared to the control, respectively), while reducing the cost of live weight gain by 7.4 and 3.9 %. The most pronounced economic effect was achieved with the 30 % inclusion level of whole-grain corn in the compound feed.

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