Growth of Periruminant Holstein Bull Calves Fed a Fermentation Extract of Aspergillus oryzae
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Date
2014-12
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
A fermentation extract of the fungus Aspergillus oryzae can be utilized as a direct fed microbial (DFM). The objective was to determine if dietary inclusion of an extract of A. oryzae would improve the growth of Holstein bull calves from birth through 1wk post weaning; it was hypothesized that it would. Calves were randomly assigned to a slaughter age, 4 wk (n = 16) or 8 wk (n = 36) and treatment, control (CON; n = 27) or DFM (n = 25). Calves averaged 43.2 ± 1.0 kg of body weight (BW) and 2.8 ± 0.3 days of age at the beginning of the experiment. Calves were housed and fed individually; no bedding was used. Calves assigned to DFM were fed 2 g/d of DFM. Liquid DFM was delivered in milk replacer for the first 4 wk of the trial; solid DFM was top-dressed on texturized grain thereafter. Calves were fed non-medicated milk replacer twice daily (22.0% CP, 20.0% fat DM basis; 680 g/d) and were weaned upon consumption of 0.91 kg of grain (20% CP, 2.0% fat; medicated with decoquinate) for 3 consecutive days or on d 45 of the study, whichever came first. Calves had ad libitum access to grain and water throughout the trial. Feed intake was recorded daily, and BW was recorded weekly. Total dry matter intake per calf did not differ from 0 thru 4 wk (20.3 ± 0.6 kg of DM) or 5 thru 8 wk (58.0 ± 2.08 kg of DM). The gain to feed ratio did not differ by treatment: from 0 thru 4wk (0.55 ± 0.03) or 5 thru 8wk (0.52 ± 0.03). There was no effect of treatment on BW, wither height, or hip height.. Thus, dietary inclusion (2 g/d) of an extract of A. oryzae did not result in improved calf growth when supplemented animals were compared to cohorts not fed the DFM. It is possible that the dose used here was not high enough to elicit treatment effects. Given that effects have been noted in other species, a follow-up dose titration study with similar diets as used here seems warranted.
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Keywords
Dairy calf, Direct fed microbial, growth, nutrition