Filled Milks for Dairy Calves. II. Comparative Effects of Various Types of Soybean Oils and of Butter Oil on Health, Growth and Certain Blood Constituents

Abstract

Summary Three types of soybean oils, crude, refined and hydrogenated, were compared with butter oil as components of reconstituted milk rations for dairy calves during the period from 4 to 60 days of age. The respective milks, supplemented with a mineral mixture and vitamins A and D, were fed to four comparable groups of calves. Although there was considerable intra-group variation, the incidence of scouring was lowest for the calves fed butter oil, followed in order by the groups receiving, respectively, hydrogenated, refined and crude soybean oils. Frequent and severe diarrhea was accompanied by unthriftiness and lethargy. The mean weight gains of the calves fed hydrogenated soybean oil were similar to those of the group receiving butter oil but greater than the mean weight gains of the groups fed the refined and the crude soybean oils, but the differences were not significant statistically. There were no appreciable differences in the mean hemoglobin levels among the various groups. Since there were no significant differences in the mean plasma vitamin A values among the groups of calves fed the various soybean oils, the differences in growth and in state of health cannot be attributed to the level of vitamin A intake. Although the mean carotene levels of the blood plasma of the groups fed the butter oil and the crude soybean oil were considerably higher than those of the other groups, the differences were not significant statistically. Mean blood plasma fat levels for the calves receiving butter oil were significantly higher than those of the group fed hydrogenated soybean oil but significantly lower than the mean values of the other two groups.