Effect of feeding system on growth performance and carcass characteristics of baladi cow calves

Abstract EN

Forty four entire male Baladi cow calves at 12 months of age and averaging 280 kg in body weight were used to investigate 3 finishing systems.

In the first system animals were fed ad libitum on 11 % CP diet until they reach 500 kg (system one).

In the other two systems animals were fed to gain 0.75 kg / day up to 75kg gain in the first period, where in the 2nd period animals were fed to gain 0.90 kg / day up to 100 kg gain in the 2nd period and there after the animals were fed ad libitum up to 500 kg body weight.

The sequence of the diets were 11, 13, 11 % CP in system 2 and 11, 15 and 11 % CP in system 3.

Growth performance, feed utilization and feed cost/kg gain were obtained.

Results showed that under the experimental conditions step-wise feeding of male ballade cow calves ad libitum on 11 % CP diet (system one) was better than the other systems used.

This is true regarding the growth and economic parameters tested.

Moreover, calves fed on the first system showed significantly higher muscle and less fat carcass.