Effect of rice pollard content of concentrate pellets on intake, liveweight gain and feed efficiency of pre-wean Holstein-Friesian calves

Abstract

Four concentrate pellets were formulated to contain 0, 43, 70, and 95 % DM as rice pollard, and offered to forty Holstein-Friesian calves from d 3 until weaning at d 56. Daily gain of Holstein-Friesian calves was similar for the four pellets, being 0.89, 0.92, 0.79, and 0.82 kg/d (P>0.05), and live-weight at weaning averaged 65.4, 69.8, 64.1 and 65.4 kg for the four (P>0.05) respectively. Pellet and hay intakes averaged 731 g/d and 198 g/d respectively, and were highest for those calves given 70 % of rice pollard (P<0.01). Water intake was not different between treatment and averaged from 4 to 5.0 1/d. Our results indicate that pellets containing up to 95% rice pollard, and with a protein percentage 13.4 %, resulted in liveweight gains that were similar to those obtained with commercial pellets when fed to pre-weaning Holstein Friesian calves.