Control of the bioavailability of iron in heavy veal production by different feeding management systems: Use of Ca–EDTA as an iron chelating agent

Abstract

Seventy male dairy black and white veal calves were allotted to five treatment groups: MILK, in which animals received exclusively milk replacer; MIX, in which animals received concentrates ad lib and milk replacer during the whole period, more specifically, 750 g of milk powder d−1 starting at week 4; GRAIN, in which animals received milk replacer during the first 4 wk and concentrates during the whole period; MIX+EDTA and GRAIN+EDTA, in which animals received the same diet as their respective controls plus 15 mg of EDTA mg−1 of Fe in the concentrates of the diet starting at week 4 of the experiment. MILK–fed calves had better average daily gains (ADG) than MIX–EDTA–fed or GRAIN+EDTA–fed calves (P < 0.001). However, GRAIN+EDTA–fed calves had lower ADG than GRAIN calves (P < 0.01). The EDTA treatments were without effect (P > 0.10) on feed efficiency and EDTA did not affect N digestibility (P > 0.10) or Fe retention (P > 0.10). Treatments with EDTA lightened the color of the meat (P < 0.01), reduced myoglobin and reduced muscle Fe (P < 0.01). Diet reduced carcass fatness in the following decreasing order: MILK, MIX, GRAIN. Treatments with EDTA had no effect on carcass composition. Key words: Veal, milk-replacer, grain, meat color, chelator