Abstract
This study investigated the effects of supplementing the diets of 14–70-day calves with dietary bee pollen (BP) or its polysaccharides (PS) on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and apparent nutrient digestibility. Twenty-five newborn Holstein female calves were randomly offered one of the five diets (five calves per diet): a milk replacer supplemented with 0 (Control), 10 (10BP), 25 (25BP), or 50 g/day (50BP) bee pollen, or 5 g/day (5PS) bee pollen polysaccharides. The trial lasted 56 days, during which growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, and serum biochemical parameters were measured. Calves fed diets with BP had a greater bodyweight gain. Supplementation with BP or PS had significant effects on the apparent digestibility of DM, Ca and P in calves (P = 0.025, 0.012, and 0.076, respectively). The apparent DM digestibility of calves from group 25BP or 5PS was increased by 9.7% or 8.2% (P = 0.007 or 0.019), respectively, compared with that in the Control group. No significant differences were observed in serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, urea nitrogen, glucose, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol and triglycerides. These results demonstrated that dietary supplementation of BP at 25 g/day·calf or PS at 5 g/day·calf improved nutrient digestibility in pre-ruminant calves.
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