Indigestion in Young Calves. II. The Influence Of Ground Barley,Coarse and Fine Hay |
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| Authors: | B. Laksesυ ela,P. Slagsυ old,N. Krogh,Å . Ommundsen,T. Landsυ erk |
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| Affiliation: | 114.Department of Animal Husbandry and Genetics, Veterinary College of Norway, P.O. Box 8146, Oslo Dep., Oslo 1, Norway ;214.Department of Internal Medicine I, Veterinary College of Norway, P.O. Box 8146, Oslo Dep., Oslo 1, Norway ;314.The Department of Pathology, Veterinary College of Norway, P.O. Box 8146, Oslo Dep., Oslo 1, Norway |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Four experiments comprising 86 calves have been carried out in order to examine the influence of ground barley, coarse and fine hay, when raising young calves on a high lactose milk replacer causing diarrhoea. The frequency of diarrhoea decreased when feeding barley (P < 0.01) or fine hay (P < 0.001), but increased when feeding coarse hay (P<0.01). Barley increased (P < 0.01) live weight gain and carcass weight, reduced (P < 0.001) rumen pH, favoured gram-positive cocci and rods in the rumen, caused hyperkeratosis and gave increased (P < 0.01) empty reticulo-rumen weights, the latter being supposed to be enhanced by hyperkeratosis. The calves ate more (P < 0.001) fine than coarse hay, fine hay being superior (P < 0.01) in promoting growth of the rumen. All hay maintained a predominantly gram-negative rumen flora, but somewhat different from that on the milk replacer, and counteracted (P < 0.01) low pH in the rumen and apparently also hyperkeratosis due to barley. The results with barley indicated no relationship between diarrhoea and hyperkeratosis. |
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| Keywords: | barley hay indigestion calves |
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