CLINICO - HAEMATOLOGICAL AND GROWTH RATES STUDIES ON BUFFALOE AND CATTLE CALVES REARED ON MILK REPLACER IN AN EARLY WEANING SYSTM

NAFIE, TH.S.; KARRAM, M.H.; ALLAM, F.M.

doi:10.21608/avmj.1988.189209

CLINICO - HAEMATOLOGICAL AND GROWTH RATES STUDIES ON BUFFALOE AND CATTLE CALVES REARED ON MILK REPLACER IN AN EARLY WEANING SYSTM

Document Type : Research article

Authors

10.21608/avmj.1988.189209

Abstract

A total of 8 buffaloe calves and 10 dairy calves aged 10 days were used to study the effect of milk replacer (Kalbilactal, Fa. Schaumann W. Germany) on the clinico-haematological picture of calves in comparison to those conventionally fed one. Buffaloe calves were divided into two groups, each one consisted of 4 anim als. Dairy claves were divided also into two groups, each one consis ted of 5 animals. All animals received whole milk for 10 days. The experimental groups received milk replacer alone up to 4 weeks then followed by milk replacer, starter and hay up to the end of the experiment. Control group reared on whole milk according to the conventional system.
The obtained results revealed that use of milk replacer in tearing calves improved the growth rates in both buffaloe and dairy calves and increase the daily body gain. Haematological picture which include the Total Erythrothytic count, Total Leykocytic count, Haematocrit and Haemoglobin values were within the normal levels of both species. However, there were some variations which are atributed to the physiological factors affect these parameters at this period of age.