75 Management of the Young Calf When Dams Are Limit-fed in Confinement

Limit-feeding cows in confinement can lower feed costs; however, calves have limited time to access feed. This study was designed to evaluate management options to economically improve calf performance. Calves (n = 54) were stratified by age (105 ± 16 DOA) and assigned randomly to one of nine groups, then each group assigned randomly to one of three treatments: 1) kept with dam with access to cow diet only (PAIRS) 2) early-weaned (EW) or 3) kept with dam with access to creep (CREEP). The cow diet was 54% wet distillers grains (WDGS), 37% straw, and 8% corn. This diet was fed to meet dry cow requirements (7.7 kg DM/d) for EW, lactation requirements (10.9 kg DM/d) in CREEP, and lactation requirements plus allow for some calf intake (14.8 kg DM/d) in PAIRS. The calf diet consisted of 51% alfalfa hay, 25% WDGS, and 22% corn. Calves in the EW had greater (P < 0.01) intake (5.0 kg DM/d) than CREEP (4.1 kg DM/d) from 105 to 203 DOA. Calf ADG differed (P < 0.01) among treatments from 105 to 203 DOA, with CREEP (1.29 kg/d) being greater (P = 0.02) than EW (1.01 kg/d) and both being greater (P ≤ 0.02) than PAIRS (0.74 kg/d). At ~203 DOA, PAIRS and CREEP were weaned and all calves were fed a growing diet. Calf intakes during the growing phase (223 to 314 DOA) did not differ (P = 0.39). However, calf ADG tended (P < 0.06) to differ. The ADG of PAIRS (1.13 kg/d) and EW (1.10 kg/d) did not differ (P = 0.67) but were greater (P ≤ 0.05) than CREEP (0.92 kg/d). However, when calf value and total feed costs were considered, creep resulted in the most return over feed costs at weaning as well as at the end of growing.

FEATURES OF THE GROWTH DYNAMICS, EXTERIOR, AND FEED PAYMENT OF ABERDEEN-ANGUS CALVES OF DIFFERENT BODY TYPES

The purpose of this work was to establish the features of growth, appearance, and feed costs as related to the increase in live weight in Aberdeen-Angus calves obtained from bulls of different body types. To conduct the experiment in the company LLC “Hammer” of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 14 calf bulls were selected in each group from the offspring of 4 large calf bulls and 3 small calf bulls of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. The fathers of the first group of young calf bulls had a higher level of live weight as compared to the fathers of the second group of calf bulls (by 80 kg). Their differed from their counterparts as being high-legged, less broad-bodied and having different massive characteristics. The mothers of the calf bulls of the first group also had a higher live weight (by 49 kg) as compared to the mothers of the calf bulls of the second group. The differences in constitution between them were nsignificant. The results of research on intensive rearing of different types from weaning to 18 months of age showed that calves originating from large-type bulls surpassed their counterparts obtained from the bulls of a small type of meat productivity. This distinction is primarily expressed in a greater growth rate and better feed gain in live weight. At the age of 18, calа bulls from large-type parents reached a mass of 442 kg, and those obtained from the small-type ones – 413 kg. These differences are statistically significant (P > 0.99) for the period from weaning to one and a half years of age. Calа bulls originating from large-type bulls spent 8.1 ECU per 1 kg of gain, and those originating from small-type bulls – 8.4 ECU.

Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma bovis Strain XBY01, Isolated from Henan Province, China

We report the complete genome sequence of Mycoplasma bovis strain XBY01, which was isolated from a severely diseased young calf in Henan Province, China, in 2019. The genome of XBY01 contains a single circular chromosome of 986,067 bp, with a GC content of 29.30%.

Chapter XI

Nana was getting taller and becoming quite a dish. At fifteen she’d grown like a young calf and was very fair-skinned and well-rounded, in fact as plump as a pin cushion. Yes, that was Nana at fifteen, fully developed but no corset as yet....

What Can a Farm Animal Biography Accomplish? The Case of Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf

Agricultural reports and guides, nonhuman animal welfare studies, and animal rights reports attempt to document and convey the condition of nonhuman animals in agriculture. These disciplines tend to resist a prolonged and methodically versatile examination of individual animals. In his pioneer work, Lovenheim (2002), The author produced such a biographical documentation of calves in the dairy and meat industries. He provided an exceptionally prolonged and detailed tracing of their lives as individuals, establishing an emotional attachment in both documenter and reader. Yet, sentiments for the farmers, typical urban conceptions of communication with nonhuman animals, and difficulties in obtaining the relevant information limit Lovenheim's success and imply similar difficulties in other cases.