Dry matter intake

Previously it was reported by researchers (Anderson et al., 1987; Hill et al., 2008) that the digestive system of younger calves (<3 weeks of age) is not sufficiently well developed to effectively digest fibre. Also, the diet of young calves affects rumen development (Coverdale et al., 2004) as well as the voluntary feed intake (Drackley, 2008). However, in Experiment 1 (chapter 3) it was observed that pre-weaned calves can eat considerable amounts of fibre from forages. In Experiment 2 (this chapter), the pre-weaning period was divided into 2 phases (1 to 21 d and 22 to 49 days). No difference was observed in terms of dry matter intake during first phase (1 to 21 days). However, from 22 days onwards calves fed PSH showed greater dry matter intake than either HF or LF TMR diets. A similar trent was observe during the post-weaning period (50-57 days). These results demonstrated that calves are fully capable of consuming greater amount of forages. As a result of greater dry matter intake, calves fed PSH diet were consuming more nutrients (ME, CP, NDF) than calves fed moist alfalfa based TMRs (LF, HF). During the early growth protein and energy are the main limiting nutrients for liveweight

85 gain (NRC, 2007). In this experiment, PSH fed calves had more availability of these nutriennts due to greater dry matter intake than other groups (LF, HF TMRs), hence showed greater liveweight gain. This might be due to abailability of pasture hay that stimulate rumination behaviour, early rumen growth and better rumen environment to consume more dry matter than other groups (LF, HF TMRs).

Khan et al. (2011) reported a positive effect on the rumen environment in young calves after supplementing with pasture hay. This finding is consistent with the greater dry matter intake of hay-supplemented calves observed in Experiment 1 and 2. In Experiment 2, the greater dry matter intake in pre- weaned PSH fed calves compared with the alfalfa-supplemented calves was similar to the findings from Experiment 1 (Chapter 3). This could be expected, as calves tend to consume a large amount of hay when given the opportunity. In experiment 2, calves fed HF TMR and LF TMR had lower DMI than a conventional calf diet (PSH). This might be due to a less developed rumen with a lower capacity to support dry matter intake, as moist alfalfa containing TMR has a lesser capacity to improve rumen motility, mascularization and volume development than pasture hay-based forage (Coverdale et al., 2004; Suarez et al., 2007). The other reason for the decreased DMI in the alfalfa- TMR fed calves might be the greater availability of effective fibre in the PSH diet, which promotes dry matter intake and also prevent rumen disorders that occur most commonly when highly fermentable concentrates are fed (Van Ackerson et al., 2010). Similar results were reported by other researchers, that grass hay is a better source of fibre for improving dry matter intake in calves, without affecting nutrient digestibility and feed efficiency (Castells et al., 2012). According to Mertens (1997) hay has more effective fibre to promote chewing activity and rumination, which in turn produces more saliva and helps to maintain an optimum rumen environment to support a greater dry matter intake in young calves.

It was observed that moist alfalfa fibre was not as effective as pasture hay in facilitating liveweight gain. A previous study comparing alfalfa hay with pasture hay did not find beneficial effects of feeding alfalfa hay (Castells et al.,

86 2012). The results of this study showed greater dry matter intake in calves fed pasture hay along with starter (PSH) compared with moist alfalfa supplemented TMRs (LF or HF) during both pre-weaning and post-weaning periods. The DMI increase in calves fed LF TMR post-weaning might be due to restricted milk supply and the high maintenance requirement in LF calves. This in turn could have resulted in the calves consuming more dry matter post-weaning (Drakley, 2008). However, after weaning, the dry matter intake of the PSH group was significantly greater than moist alfalfa based TMR diets (HF, LF). It is possible that this was due to the pasture hay based diet better stimulating rumen development and function. Therefore, pasture hay could be a better forage source fed along with starter diet to increase dry matter intake in young calves.

4.4.2. Liveweight and liveweight gain

Castells et al. (2012) reported ryegrass hay as a better source of forage compared to other forage sources (straw, alfalfa hay), resulting in greater dry matter intake and improved growth rate in calves, with good nutrient digestibility and feed conversion efficiency. In the experiment described in this Chapter, the liveweight of calves fed pasture hay based diet (PSH) was higher than for calves fed the other two treatment diets (LF or HF TMRs), during pre- and post-weaning periods. Longer length and more effective fibre plays an important role in increasing chewing activity, which in turn produces more saliva and acts as a buffer in the rumen. This improves the rumen environment and functioning and increases the dry matter intake in young calves (Khan et al., 2011). Franklin et al. (2003) recommended diets with an NDF content of between 18 to 20% to improve feed digestibility and to promote dry matter intake. Other researchers reported that the addition of 10 to 25% of ground or chopped hay or straw to the diet of young calves increased the dry matter intake and average liveweight gain (Thomas and Hinks, 1982; Davis and Drackley, 1998). The calves in the current study consumed more than 25% of their diet as forage i.e., moist alfalfa and pasture hay. Porter et al. (2007) fed a higher NDF diet to young calves (27%) than was used in the current experiment, and reported positive effects on the

87 rumen pH, starter intake and liveweight compared to calves fed lower, 20%, NDF diet. In this study, the total daily NDF intake, as a percentage of the total intake was 26, 38, and 46% of the diets at different growth phases (1 to 21 days, 22-49 days, 50-57 days). The NDF% of the LF TMR, starter and hay used in the current experiment were quite similar to those used in other experiments. The calves in this experiment ate feed with a relatively high NDF content and had a high NDF intake as a percent of the total diet during pre- weaning and post-weaning periods. Also greater intake of CP and ME was the main contributing factor in greater liveweight gain in PSH fed calves due to greater intake than calves fed either LF or HF based TMR diet. The HF TMR and PSH diets produced higher growth rates and greater stature compared with the LF TMR diet during these periods. Some of this difference could be due to digestive tract ‘fill’, which indicates the need to assess stature in growing dairy heifers as an independent measure of size and liveweight of calves following weaning when assessing the effect of diet on calf growth. It is important to consider the potential effect of differences in gut contents, because measuring empty liveweight on a weekly basis was not practical during the experiment. Liveweight was also measured post-weaning when all three groups of calves were grazed on pasture and calves had been consuming similar diets. This confirmed that calves fed PSH had higher liveweights than calves fed LF and HF TMRs during the rearing period.

No digestibility problems or disorders were observed during the experiment. This could be due to the presence of sufficient fibre that prevented the excessive intake of concentrated feeds and prevented rumen fermentation disorders (Van Ackerson et al., 2009). In this study greater daily weight gains were observed in PSH fed calves than in HF TMR and LF TMR fed calves pre-weaning (1 to 49 days) and post-weaning periods (50 to 57 days). Previously Khan et al. (2011) fed a starter diet to young dairy calves along with different forage sources and reported increased dry matter intake, more developed rumen and greater daily weight gain in calves fed a hay based fibre diet. In this study, calves fed pasture hay (PSH) proved to be better than moist alfalfa based TMRs in terms of dry matter intake and liveweight gain during pre-weaning and post-weaning periods that could be due to a better

88 rumen environment. Therefore, offering pasture hay could be a good option to optimise rumen environment, increase dry matter intake and subsequently liveweight gain in young calves.

4.4.3. Stature

Khan et al. (2012) reported that calves fed fibre along with the starter diet during pre-weaning showed greater hip height and maintained this greater height after weaning compared with calves fed no additional forage. Similar results were found in this study and it was observed that mean hip width and hip height were significantly greater in PSH and HF TMR-fed calves than LF TMR calves during both the pre- and post-weaning periods. During pre- weaning, the last rib girth was significantly greater in the PSH and HF TMR- fed calves compared with the LF TMR-fed calves. After weaning, the mean last rib girth of PSH-fed calves was greater than for the calves fed HF TMR and LF TMR. After moving to pasture, the last rib girth was greater in PSH and HF TMR-fed calves compared to the LF TMR fed calves. This greater last rib girth might be due to a more developed rumen and the greater rumen fill effect of pasture hay (Khan et al., 2011) compared to moist alfalfa based TMRs (LF or HF).

4.4.4. Feed conversion efficiency

It was observed that in the two pre-weaning periods (1 to 21 d, 22 to 49 d), the feed conversion efficiency was higher in moist alfalfa fed calves (LF TMR or HF TMR) compared to calves fed starter supplemented with hay (PSH). These observations demonstrate that calves eating more dry matter (PSH) grow faster and have greater liveweight gain. In the experiment described in Chapter 3, it was observed that calves eating starter only (PS, no forage) showed better feed conversion efficiency than calves eating starter diet supplemented with forages (PSA, PSH). Other researchers also reported similar results. For example, higher feed conversion efficiency was observed in calves fed pellet starters than in calves fed forage based diets (Coverdale et al., 2004; Bach et al., 2007). A possible reason that has been suggested for

89 the lower feed conversion efficiency in calves fed hay supplement along with starter diet is the greater intake of the calves fed this diet (Bach et al., 2007; Khan et al., 2011). This explanation also appears to be the cause of lower feed conversion efficiency observed in the current experiment which diminished during post-weaning period. Hill et al. (2008) reported a lower feed conversion efficiency when the percentage of hay in calves’ diet was increased. According to Porter et al. (2007) a greater intake leading to a greater liveweight gain. The greater dry matter intake observed by these authors one week post-weaning has been suggested to be due to differences in calves consequent on eating exclusively dry feed at this time (Coverdale et al., 2004; Bach et al., 2007). Khan et al. (2012) reported lower feed conversion efficiency in pasture hay supplemented calves than in calves fed no additional forage, but this observation should be treated with caution because it could be the result of variation between treatment groups in their intestinal contents. In the current study, the only factor observed that could explain the lower feed conversion efficiency of the PSH fed calves was the greater dry matter intake. This higher dry matter intake is likely to have also had a positive effect on the rumen growth and development, and so to have helped the calves to start foraging and rumination early in life. This in turn would make it easier for the calves to transition from supplement feeding to a pasture based system. The results reported here are similar to that reported by Khan et al. (2012) who reported improved foraging and nutrient consumption in calves fed pasture hay, compared to calves eating no forage during the pre-weaning and post-weaning periods.