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Effects of milk feeding, frequency and concentration on weaning and buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calf growth, health and behaviour

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Abstract

Growth, weight at birth and daily weight gain (DWG) on 12 water buffalo calves, starting from 6 days of age until completion of weaning, was investigated in this study. Different feeding regimens were given to two groups of animals with regard to daily milk replacer: (1) group 1 (G1) received a double concentration in single administration; whereas (2) group 2 (G2) received the same amount of milk replacer split twice daily. Blood samples were collected from each calf on days 6, 30, 60 and 90 to evaluate acute phase proteins (haptoglobin), bactericide activity, lysozime, total protein content and biochemical parameters. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of dry matter intake, feed efficiency and live body weight at the end of the study. Interestingly, a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced DWG was observed earlier in G1 (day 45) than in G2 (day 60). Gastrointestinal disorders were not recorded throughout the experimental period, and no significant differences were recorded between the two groups for all considered parameters. This study confirms the possibility of utilising one daily administration of milk replacer in water buffalo calf during weaning. This new approach facilitates calves management, without interfering with calves growing performances.

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Acknowledgments

Work supported by the project number 10481/2009—“Tecniche Innovative per il miglioramento dell’attività produttiva e riproduttiva della bufala”—Accordo di Programma Quadro, Ricerca Scientifica e Innovazione Tecnologica nella Regione Calabria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DISCIZIA Sez. “B. Ferrara”Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Studies of Naples “Federico II”, V. Delpino 1, 80137, Naples, Italy

    Domenico Vecchio, Rossella Di Palo, Luigi Esposito, Pasquale Rossi, Gianluca Neglia & Giuseppe Campanile

  2. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy

    Esterina De Carlo & Alessandra Martucciello

  3. Agenzia Regionale per lo Sviluppo e l’Innovazione dell’ Agricoltura nel Lazio (ARSIAL), Rome, Italy

    Giorgio Antonio Presicce

  4. Dipartimento di Biochimica Biofisica e Patologia Generale SUN, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, Italy

    Emilio Chiosi

Authors
  1. Domenico Vecchio
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  2. Rossella Di Palo
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  3. Esterina De Carlo
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  4. Luigi Esposito
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  5. Giorgio Antonio Presicce
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  6. Alessandra Martucciello
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  7. Emilio Chiosi
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  8. Pasquale Rossi
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  9. Gianluca Neglia
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  10. Giuseppe Campanile
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gianluca Neglia.

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Vecchio, D., Di Palo, R., De Carlo, E. et al. Effects of milk feeding, frequency and concentration on weaning and buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calf growth, health and behaviour. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 1697–1702 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-013-0417-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-013-0417-0

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