metadata only access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/83626

Effects of oral administration of timothy hay and psyllium on the growth performance and fecal microbiota of preweaning calves

英語

microbiota

2021-12

Elsevier

Journal of dairy science

104(12)

12472-12485

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral administration of fiber from the first week of life on the growth and hindgut environment of preweaning calves. Twenty newborn female Holstein calves were divided into 2 groups as control and treatment. Calves in both groups were reared under the same feeding program except for oral fiber administration. Timothy hay and psyllium were mixed at a 50-to-6 ratio as a treatment diet for oral fiber administration. Calves in the treatment group were orally administered 50 g of fiber daily from 3 to 7 d of age and 100 g of fiber from 8 d of age until weaning. Feed intake and occurrence of diarrhea were recorded daily, and body weight (BW) was recorded weekly for the individual calf. Fresh fe-ces were collected from calves at 7, 21, 35, 49, and 56 d of age to analyze fermentation parameters and microbiota to characterize the hindgut environment. Higher fiber intake in the treatment group due to oral administration of timothy and psyllium did not affect the starter intake and achieved higher BW at 21 d of age. The fecal pH, total volatile fatty acid, lactate, and ammonia nitrogen concentrations were not affected by oral fiber administration; meanwhile, the molar propor-tion of propionate was higher in the treatment group at 7 d of age. The difference in fecal microbiota in the calves subjected to the oral administration of fiber was observed within 21 d of life; Lactobacillus spp. and Prevotella spp. showed higher abundance, whereas that of Clostridium perfringens was decreased. These higher abundances of beneficial bacteria and lower abundance of pathogenic bacteria during early life may partly ex-plain the higher BW of calves in the treatment group at 21 d of age. Furthermore, no adverse effect was ob-served for the BW and health status in the treatment group throughout the preweaning period. Therefore, early fiber feeding via oral administration potentially contributes to improving the hindgut environment in newborn calves, which leads to better growth of calves during the early stage of life.

学術雑誌論文

Version of Record

0022-0302