BOKU-Symposium 2017:
BEWITAL agri wins 2nd poster price
The BOKU-Symposium Animal Nutrition 2017 in Vienna, Austria, was under the headline of the “healthy intestinal tract”. Dr. Michael Hovenjürgen from BEWITAL agri was present and won the 2nd price for his article about the “Influence of feed quantity and skimmed milk powder content of calf milk replacer on growth performance in rearing calves”.
The study was conducted in cooperation with VBZL Haus Riswick, Germany, and the agricultural university of Osnabrück.
The results in brief:
- The increase in milk quantity from 6 l to 8 l during the first weeks of life showed a positive effect on daily weight gain in the first weeks of life.
- The trial group receiving 8 l with higher SMP content (without vegetable protein in the CMR) showed significant better weight development.
- At the end of the rearing period, after 150 trial days, the influence of vegetable protein as well as the proportion of skimmed milk powder of the CMR was only tendencially recognizable.
- The CMR without vegetable protein (40 % SMP) showed 5-10 kg higher live weights at the end of the trial period, as well for the 6 l as for the 8l trial variant.
- Daily weight gains until 150th TD was for all groups in this trial ca. 1000 g on average, being in line with the actual DLG recommendation for the first 6 months in life and a desired age of first calving of 24 months (DLG 2016).