Growth and Rumen Environment of Pre-weaning Bali Calves Offered Different Forage-Based Calf Supplements

Abstract

Replacing part of the concentrate based calf supplement with high quality forages may result in reducing the price of the supplement which makes it affordable by small tenant farmer thereby improving its adoption rate. Sixteen pre-weaning Bali calves were involved in this experiment with the objective to investigate the effect of replacing 2/3rd of concentrate-based supplement with leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureus) and king grass (Pennisetum typhoides) on growth rate, rumen environment and blood metabolites of Bali calves. Calves were randomly grouped into four groups and they were offered a concentrate- based calf supplement (CSc) or different forage based cal supplement made by replacing 2/3rd of the concentrate on dry matter (DM) bases with leucaena (CSl), siratro (CSs), and king grass (CSg). Concentrate supplement was formulated using rice bran, corn meal and shmeal to contain 18% crude protein. Parameters measured included mortality rate, growth rate, and rumen environment (concentration of total and individual volatile fatty acid, VFA). All forage-based calf supplement are as good as concentrate supplement in preventing calf losses since no calf died during the experiment. Calves consumed siratro-based supplement have comparable (P>0.05) growth rate with those offered the concentrate supplement and signi cantly higher (P<0.05) than those offered other forage-based supplement. Bali calves offered CSl had signi cantly lower (P<0.05) rumen total VFA concentration particularly that of propionate and butyrate. It can be concluded that siratro can be used to replace 2/3rd of concentrate supplement thereby can used for cost effective calf supplement.