<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<oai_dc:dc schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
<dc:title>Effect of Milk-Feeding Frequency and Calcium Gluconate Supplementation on Growth, Health, and Reproductive and Metabolic Features of Holstein Heifers at a Rearing Farm</dc:title>
<dc:creator>Revilla-Ruiz, Angel</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carulla, Patricia</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez-Novo, Aitor</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Mercado, Eduardo</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pérez-Navarro, Alejandro</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patrón-Collantes, Raquel</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sebastián, Francisco</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pérez-Garnelo, Sonia S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>González-Martín, Juan V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estellés, Fernando</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villagrá, Arantxa</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Astiz, Susana</dc:creator>
<dc:description>We compared the effects of milk-feeding in 288 Holstein calves (72 per group) which were fed twice (2F) or thrice (3F) daily, with or without the addition of hydrogenated fat-embedded calcium gluconate (G) supplemented in the starter food and in the daily diet up to the age of 9 months, on the calves’ metabolism, growth, health, and reproductive efficiency up to first pregnancy. The calves received 6 L of milk replacer (130 g/L) and had ad libitum access to water and textured calf starter with or without gluconate. Gluconate supplementation promoted a “catch-up” in growth in supplemented calves compared to their counterparts that did not receive gluconate. Gluconate appeared to reduce animal metabolic stress during key events, such as weaning and transfer into open-door pens, reducing fructosamine (352.61 vs. 303.06 in 3FG and 3F, respectively; <i>p</i> = 0.028) and urea (3F revealed the highest values compared with the other three groups: 19.06 for 3F vs. 13.9 (2F), 13.7 (2FG), and 14.3 (3FG), respectively, <i>p = </i>0.002) from weaning onwards. The feeding of dairy calves with milk replacer three rather than two times per day tended to be associated with better health from weaning to 4 months old; parameters such as ultrasound lung score and calf health score improved over time (<i>p </i>< 0.001). Thrice-daily feeding with milk replacer tended to reduce the number of artificial inseminations per pregnancy in heifers by 0.2 points (<i>p</i> = 0.092). We confirmed significant correlations between early health and growth parameters and reproductive efficiency and a positive correlation between body weight and average daily weight gain and the thickness of the back fat layer in young heifers (<i>r</i> = 0.245; <i>p </i>< 0.0001; <i>r</i> = 0.214; <i>p </i>< 0.0001 respectively). Our study was conducted on a commercial farm with reasonably effective animal management, so baseline welfare was likely satisfactory.</dc:description>
<dc:date>2024-05-04T09:50:46Z</dc:date>
<dc:date>2024-05-04T09:50:46Z</dc:date>
<dc:date>2024-04-29</dc:date>
<dc:date>2024-05-04T09:50:47Z</dc:date>
<dc:type>artículo</dc:type>
<dc:identifier>doi: 10.3390/ani14091336</dc:identifier>
<dc:identifier>Animals 14 (9): 1336 (2024)</dc:identifier>
<dc:identifier>http://hdl.handle.net/10261/355832</dc:identifier>
<dc:rights>open</dc:rights>
<dc:publisher>Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute</dc:publisher>
</oai_dc:dc>